Lucy Jane Song
by fezwearingjellybananas
Summary: Everyone knows the Doctor and River Song are married. But what if they had a daughter? And what if the Doctor couldn't look after her so he left her with Sherlock Holmes and John Watson? MerWhoLock attempt.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note: A little sort of MerWhoLock, but mostly WhoLock. Merlin's only in a little bit. I'll try and put up a couple of chapters a day. Anyway, I hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately****, Doctor Who doesn't belong to me (I wish), but to the rather fantastic BBC. Sherlock Holmes is in the public domain (it being over 70 years since Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's death), and Merlin's an old legend so anyone can use them, but for this particular story I have used the BBC versions (because the BBC is cool). So credit to the BBC for being brilliant.**

**Another thing- this is set between the Doctor Who episodes _A Christmas Carol _and _The Impossible __Astronaut_ initially, but the rest is fairly obvious as to where in the Doctor's timeline it is. The Merlin bit is between series 3 and 4. The Sherlock bit starts after _A Study In Pink. _But he doesn't come in till later.**

* * *

Chapter 1

River screamed

"Rory, do something!"

"Why me?"

"You're a nurse."

"You're a doctor!"

"I'm not that kind of doctor!"

"I'm not that kind of nurse!"

"Both of you shut up!" Amy was kneeling by River's head, damping her head with a flannel. "Remind me never to have children."

"Oh."

"Not the time Rory. You can adopt one."

River screamed again. The Doctor's ears pricked up as someone knocked on the door to the TARDIS.

"Don't you dare."

He ignored Amy's warning and walked over to it. Two young men was standing outside.

"Thought we recognised that box. Hello Doctor."

"Oh good. It's you two."

"What an earth is going on in there? We heard screams."

"It's my wife."

"You have a wife?"

"Doctor, who is it?" He opened his mouth to reply, but Amy cut him off. "Scrap that. I don't care who it is, do they know anything about medicine?"

"Merlin does my lady. I am Prince Arthur of Camelot. Merlin is my manservant. Although sometimes I do wonder why I put up with him."

"Great, what do you know about childbirth?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

River sat up. The Doctor was standing there, holding something wrapped up in a blanket. He smiled at her and handed her the bundle. River looked down into the eyes of her daughter.

* * *

"What are you going to call her?" Rory asked.

"Aspirin."

"That's not a name Doctor."

"River kept saying aspirin."

"You might as well call her Ibuprofen or Paracetamol."

"Good idea Rory."

"Doctor, those are names of medicines, not people."

"Oh."

"I always liked Melody."

"No," River said, clutching her baby. "Something normal for an extraordinary girl. What about Lucy?"

"Lucy sounds nice. Lucy Jane."

"Perfect."

"Will she need another name? Like you?"

"I don't know. She's only half Time Lord. Maybe she doesn't. Or maybe that is her other name."

Amy nodded as she watched the baby bounce up and down on River's lap. Maybe she would like to be a mother one day.

"You must all come to Camelot for dinner," Arthur said. "I insist."

Amy walked behind with Merlin. He didn't look much more than a boy.

"So, you're Merlin. I always thought you were old when you met Arthur."

"No. He's older than me. Not by much. But he is."

"He said you were his servant. But he sees you as a friend."

"I am his servant. Long story."

"Are you really a sorcerer?"

"Magic is banned in Camelot. By order of the king. Punishable by death."

"That wasn't the answer to my question."

"Like I said, it's a long story."

"Amy, I see you've met Merlin."

"How did you two meet?"

"I needed a hand with something, so I made a little team. Brawn was obviously going to be Arthur and the knights, especially as it was in this time, and Merlin wouldn't let Arthur leave without him. Then I needed some help deducing things, so I called in Sherlock Holmes. Obviously, John Watson came along too. Then there was River and chaos happened."

"Although you never mentioned River was your wife."

"When was this?"

"When you were on your honeymoon with Rory. Before the flying sharks."

"So you had an adventure without us."

"I have lots of adventures without you. What do you think I do when you sleep?"

"I don't know. Go on dates with River?"

"Other than that."

"How do you know him Amy?" Merlin interrupted.

"He broke my garden shed when I was a little girl, came in my house and ate fish fingers and custard, went on a five minute trip round the moon, came back 12 years later, fought off an alien invasion, went off, came back a year later and I hopped in his time machine and started travelling with him. Then we went to pick Rory up and lots of stuff happened."

"Stuff tends to happen when you're with him."

"Merlin!"

"I should go. Something's probably wrong." Merlin walked over to Arthur.

"What is this?"

"A water skin."

"What's it used for Merlin?"

"Water."

"So why's it empty?"

"Because you drank it all?"

"Merlin, sometimes I think you really want to be killed. Other times, I think you really are an idiot."

"Just an idiot sire."

"Just fill it up Merlin."

"Where?"

"At the nearest stream Merlin. River has just had a child. She needs fluids. You should know that much." Merlin walked off and Arthur turned to the strange man, Rory.

"We should be there soon."

"Thank you." Arthur went to join Merlin. Rory could see that, dispute appearances, those two were really close.

Rory held River on Arthur's horse. She was still weak, but she seemed too fixated by Lucy to notice. Rory had always wanted a family. The baby gurgled.

"I wonder what she's saying."

"Probably wants food."

"She's so sweet. Hi Lucy. I'm Uncle Rory."

"You can be Grandpa Rory if you want."

"Sounds good. Do you have parents River?"

"Spoilers."

"Right." Rory focused on the baby again. He had a thought. "Where will she grow up?"

"What?"

"Well, you're in prison, so that's probably not the best idea and the Doctor's always getting into trouble so it's probably not the best idea to stay with him either."

"We'll think of something. Maybe stay in the TARDIS for a few months then think of something."

"Makes sense." They carried on towards Camelot.

* * *

**Author's Note: Like I said, only a little Merlin, but I might expand on that later.**

**Thank you to everyone that read Chapter 1!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Should probably mention this takes place in an alternative universe, which is why the dates don't quite match up, I had to change a couple of times for it to fit Lucy's ageing process. I don't think River ever spent this long on the TARDIS (but then, she had a promise to keep) and it's quite clear from the next chapters what I mean by dates not fitting. Sorry to anyone this causes distress to, but I had to use a bit of poetic license otherwise it doesn't make sense.**

* * *

Chapter 3

_Six months later. On the TARDIS_

"I need to go back. I have a promise to keep. We'll see each other again soon."

"Are you taking Lucy?"

"I can't sweetie. You'll have to look after her. You're good with kids, it shouldn't be too hard. And if not, Rory can do it."

"Cheers," Rory said, indignantly. Both the Doctor and River ignored him.

"You can't just leave River."

"I'm not. We'll see each other again, very soon."

"When?"

"Spoilers."

River walked out the door.

"Goodbye River."

"Goodbye my love."

The Doctor looked down at Lucy. He had no idea what to do. She was beautiful, but it had been so long since he'd had a family. So long.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

_Six years later, sort of. Six years, Lucy time. Just before Demons Run._

"We can't take her. It's too dangerous."

"What are you going to do then Doctor?"

"I know someone. He could look after her."

"Is it Merlin and King Arthur again? They know you and they helped with Lucy's birth. I know full well you've visited them since. She knows them."

The Doctor looked back on his last visit to Camelot. Lucy had loved Arthur and Merlin, but it was almost time for the final battle. And after the round table incident- it had been hard to explain to Lucy that just because something looked like it should fly, didn't mean that you should make it fly. He'd had to leave the mess for Merlin to clean up and he was certain that he couldn't deal with that daily.

"Not them."

"Then who?"

"Another friend. And I'd have to make her forget. A time lord, even if she isn't a full one, will draw attention to too many people."

"How can you just make her forget?"

"By placing her Time Lord conscience in a Chameleon Arch." The Doctor pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to Rory.

"It's a watch."

"Time Lord Technology. It allows us to become human to hide."

"Will it hurt her?"

"She'll be fine Rory." The Doctor pulled some levers on the console. "It hurts initially, but this way she'll be safe. We'll drop her off with my friend, then let's go and find your wife."


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Like I said, times are slightly adjusted. Sherlock and John met slightly earlier in this universe. Either that or the Doctor took them back a couple of years earlier than they had left, but probably not as I think Lestrade might have noticed if there were two Sherlocks causing mayham on the streets of London. Mycroft certainty would have had something to say about it.**

* * *

Chapter 5

Earth, 2007

John sat at his computer, trying not to fall asleep. Sherlock had kept him up all night, banging on things. Goodness knows what he was trying to do. He'd only been living there a few months, but already felt he knew Sherlock as much as anyone could. Maybe it was something to do with their time with the Doctor, which brought the time they'd known each up to just over a year.

John started typing up their latest case on his blog. Once he'd started the words began to flow, telling their own story. Sherlock wouldn't approve. Not enough detail on exactly what everything meant. Too flowery. He chuckled as he imagined exactly what Sherlock would have to say about it.

"John?" Mrs Hudson's voice floated up the stairs. "There's someone at the door asking for you."

"I'll be down in a second Mrs Hudson."

John clicked save and walked over to the stairs. Mrs Hudson was standing there with a familiar looking man.

"Doctor. Come up. Sherlock will be home soon. He's at the lab."

"I can't stay John. Amy's missing. I need you to do something for me. Rory?"

"Is this the only way Doctor? You can't leave her with us in the future or anything?" The Doctor shook his head. The man, Rory, was dressed as a Roman Centurion. "Or with River, since she can't come?"

"You said it yourself, prison's no place to bring up a child and I don't know when I'll be back."

"When we have Amy and Melody of course."

"It's not that simple Rory. She's a child. What we do is just too dangerous."

"Are you all right Doctor?"

"John, I need you to do something for me. I need you to keep Lucy safe."

"You want Sherlock and me to look after a child? Is that wise Doctor?"

"She's not just a child John. She's River's daughter. She's my daughter."

"There must be somewhere less conspicuous to hide a Time Lord."

"The Chameleon Arch."

"You're sure? She wouldn't know who you were. She'd forget all of that."

"Whatever it takes John. Whatever it takes." John watched as the Doctor knelt down and handed the girl a fob watch. "You're going to stay with Uncle John and Uncle Sherlock for a bit."

"But I want to stay with you."

"When I've finished this, I'll come back." He pressed her fingers on to a button on the top of the watch. "Look after her John." She shook and seemed to fall asleep as the Time Lord essence moved.

"You remember Lucy. That you are loved. By Daddy, Mummy and defiantly Grandpa Rory."

"Come on Rory. Time to find Pond." The Doctor walked off, asking Rory about how come River had told him he could be Grandpa Rory. John picked the girl up and carried her inside.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6  


Sherlock wasn't pleased when he arrived home. He'd cracked the case, as he always did, but he'd run into Mycroft. And now there was a small person asleep in his bed.

"Did you not tell him how distracting it would be John? She'll have to go to school and she can hardly help on cases. She'll make noise when I'm trying to concentrate and goodness knows what will happen if she opens the fridge."

"What's in the fridge?"

"Needless to say, she's probably not even registered as a human being so whether she'd be able to go to school or whether you'll have to phone Mycroft and sort something out is one of the first issues."

"Sherlock, what's in the fridge?"

"An experiment."

"What with this time? Fingers? Toes?"

"Just an arm John. I need to see if you can change how bruises develop at different temperatures."

"There's an arm in the fridge?"

"Stop changing the subject John. Now, what are we going to do with her?"

"Look after her. She's just a girl Sherlock and the Doctor's our friend." Lucy stirred in her sleep.

"Bad Sontaran. Naughty."

"Fine. But find her her own bed."

"I knew you'd come round. We'll sort school and legal documents out in the morning. Mycroft could probably have something made."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

_Five years later_

Lucy came in from school and threw her bag in the hallway.

"Put that away please." She picked it up again and carried it to her room. Uncle John was typing out his blog. "Thank you. Oh, don't go in there. Uncle Sherlock's cross."

"Is it that woman again? The one that keeps sending him messages?"

"How do you know about that?"

"Because. Who is she? Is she Uncle Sherlock's girlfriend?"

"I don't know." That seemed to satisfy Lucy. She tramped upstairs, boots covered in mud John noticed. Goodness knows where she found so much mud in the middle of London. "Er, Lucy, dirty boots off in the house please. You'll have to clean that up."

She didn't respond. John clutched the fob watch in his pocket. He'd considered putting it somewhere safe, like a bank, but Sherlock had been insistent that there was nowhere safer than John. Even at the swimming pool, Moriaty had never found it. It was like it was invisible. The Doctor must have done something to it.

Sherlock came downstairs.

"Was that Lucy's feet I heard?"

"Yes."

"That explains why there's mud everywhere then."

"Yes."

"See she walked the long way home."

"Something's not right Sherlock. You don't need to be a genius to work that out."

"I'll talk to her."

"You know, for someone who didn't want her to stay, you've taken to parenthood pretty well." Sherlock raised his eyebrows and turned to follow Lucy upstairs. "Oh, and by the way, she thinks Irene Adler's your girlfriend." Sherlock ignored him and John went back to writing his blog. "The Woman. Seems like a good name. Or maybe Scandal in Belgravia."

* * *

Lucy was sat on her bed, looking at the ceiling. She'd been allowed to paint the stars on it. What she would give to see the stars up close.

There was a knock at the door. Uncle Sherlock opened it and sat down on the end of her bed.

"Uncle John said you were cross."

"Not with you. What's wrong?"

"You can work it out. It's easy for you. Just like writing is easy for Uncle John. You probably already know."

"But I'd prefer to hear it from your mouth."

"They were laughing at me because I don't have a mum and dad. You knew them. Who were they?"

"I only met them briefly."

"Yet they trusted you enough to leave me here."

"They did."

"Why don't I remember them?"

"Now isn't the time. We have a case to solve. Come on, the game's afoot!" He ran down the stairs. Lucy ran after him, crashing into a wall on the way. John shook his head as Sherlock led her out onto the streets of London for one of his treasure hunts. If only Sherlock were this human around everyone else. John pulled the fob watch out of his pocket.

"You need to come soon Doctor. She needs you."


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: I now have 6 followers and a review. To those people, I say, thank you so much! You're fantastic and brilliant! And here's the next chapter...**

* * *

Chapter 8

_Two months later. Christmas_

Lucy unwrapped her present from Uncle John and Uncle Sherlock with glee. Inside was a science book all about the stars. She read it in a couple of hours. When it was time for bed, she couldn't stop talking about them.

"Do you think I could see a star up close Uncle John?" She asked as he tucked her in.

"Maybe one day."

"There's something missing."

"Where?"

"On the ceiling."

"All the stars we can see are there."

"But there's something missing."

"What?"

"Something."

"I see." John fumbled with the fob watch. _Not yet. _

"I'll remember it in the morning."

* * *

John closed the door as he left, leaving her to fall asleep while watching the stars.

"She's remembering. She said there's something missing in the stars. Do you think she meant the TARDIS?"

"She's bound to have some memories. It's who she is. She knows she's not like the others."

"We have to protect her. We could home school her."

"I can't have a child under my feet while working on a case."

"The Doctor has to come soon. Otherwise we'll have to give her the watch."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

_Fourteen months later_

Lucy watched with horror as Sherlock fell. She knew he wasn't what all the newspapers were saying. Uncle John knew he wasn't. Mrs Hudson, Lestrade and Mycroft knew. So why did he have to jump?

Uncle John was pushing past people to get to him. Lucy tried to follow him, but a man held her back.

"It's not a sight for a young girl to see." She pushed against the man, but he didn't let go. "One day. Not today." Molly came over and took her hand. She turned around to see the man, but he had gone. It was as if he had never been there. She knew his voice. How did she know his voice?

* * *

Neither she nor Uncle John said anything that night. Nor the next night, nor the next. It was only when Mrs Hudson came upstairs and insisted she go to school that she left 221B. No one said anything to her at school and she didn't say anything to anyone. Why did people keep leaving her?

After the funeral, they stood by Sherlock's grave.

"Don't be dead." That was all Lucy heard of Uncle John's conversation with Sherlock.

"How can he not be dead? How can you hope that? It's impossible."

"Improbable."

"Same thing."

"Not quite. A man once told he was an optimist, and I think some of it rubbed off. If anyone can cheat death, it's Sherlock Holmes."

"Who told you that?"

"Someone very special."

"Who?"

"Your father."

Lucy pressed him for details, but whatever Uncle John knew, he wasn't telling. Time to start her own detective work.

* * *

She'd assembled a spider's web on her wall. Just like Uncle Sherlock used, but his was in his head. Uncle John knocked on her door and she pulled a curtain across the wall.

"Are you coming to eat?"

"In a minute."

He nodded and went downstairs. Lucy put the last newspaper cutting about Uncle Sherlock's death on the wall. She followed Uncle John to where Mrs Hudson had a steaming plate of bangers and mash waiting.

* * *

**Author's Note: The full quote John was talking about was from the Doctor Who episode _The Almost People, _written by Matthew Graham, series 6, episode 6 of the renewed series. The full quote is **

**"I am and always will be the optimist. The hoper of far-flung hopes and the dreamer of improbable dreams."**

**It's one of my favourites, I think it sums up the Doctor perfectly. Whatever happens, he keeps travelling, he keeps helping, he never loses faith that there's goodness in everyone. Except Daleks.**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10_  
_

_One month later_

The knock came in the middle of the night. Lucy hid at the top of the stairs as Uncle John answered it. A short fat man was standing there.

"Are you Doctor John Watson?"

"I am."

"My name's Craig Owens and this is Alfie, but according to a friend of mine, he prefers Stormageddon."

"Is this a mutual friend?"

"Yes. He asked me to give you this."

The man, Craig, handed John a letter.

"Thank you." John closed the door and Lucy ran back to her bed before he noticed she was out of bed.

* * *

John tore open the letter. The Doctor clearly hadn't got the time right as he traced his finger along the Doctor's handwriting, spelling out Sherlock's name. It had been crossed out. Craig had clearly told him.

_Dear John __and Sherlock_

_It's been a while, I know. And I'm sorry. We found Amy. But I can't come back. I'm going to die. I can't see her. Not now. I can't get her hopes up. I can't. _

_But I'm doing a round trip of old friends and if you wanted, be at the cafe tomorrow morning. Don't tell her. Please John. I know what you must be going through. Craig's just told me what happened. I know how it feels to lose someone. But you still have Mrs Hudson. You still have Harry. You still have Lucy. Keep strong John. You know Sherlock. He'll find a way._

_John. I don't know how I'm getting out of this one. If I don't come back, keep Lucy safe. If she gets to 18, you know what to do. _

_Your friend, throughout time_

_Doctor_

John read the letter, not sure what to think. There was no question. He had to go. He had to see the Doctor. Maybe talk some sense into him. But Lucy couldn't know. He put the letter in his pocket with the watch. Maybe it was time for sleep.

* * *

Lucy asked about the knock in the morning.

"Just someone from an old case wishing us well."

"It was a bit late."

"He was in London and decided to pop by. It wasn't planned."

"So what case was it?"

"One of the early ones."

"Which one?"

"I don't remember. Come on. Time for school. You're going to be late."

"I need a time machine. Then I'll never be late. Uncle John?" John realised he'd tensed at the mention of time machine.

"Time machine. Yeah. Good idea. Come on, chop chop."

Lucy left about ten minutes later. Somehow, she'd acquired a hat. Just an ordinary floppy hat, but the way she just picked it up made John laugh. She was so like her father at times.

* * *

Speaking of which. It was eleven by the time John had sorted out his mess at home, sent Lucy off to school and walked to the café. Normally he would have taken a cab, but he's decided to walk today. It seemed like that sort of day. Besides, Sherlock would have liked him to make sure he knew the streets of London. He sat down at a table opposite a young man in a tweed jacket and bow tie with a Stetson pulled over his eyes.

"You know, she found a hat today. Just a floppy hat, but it still made my think of you."

"Well I should think she should have a hat. Hats are cool. River disagrees. But I'm right."

"Obviously. Are you sure you won't reconsider?"

"I can't John. She's a Time Lord. It's too dangerous. This whole thing started because River was actually Amy and Rory's baby who was conceived in the time vortex and so was a Time Lord and so that's why Amy had been kidnapped so an organisation called the Silence could use Melody Pond as a weapon to kill me, which she did, but then she gave me her regenerations after regenerating from Amy and Rory's childhood friend Mels and basically that makes Lucy a full Time Lord, because I know she opened the doors of the TARDIS once which means she saw into the time vortex and it's all very complicated." The Doctor finished, seeing John's bemused look. "I'm sorry I wasn't there John." It took a few minutes for John to click on exactly when he was talking about. "I should have been there. I could have saved him."

"It's probably a fixed point Doctor. Rory was there. I saw him. He held Lucy back, so she didn't see Sherlock's body."

"Did she know him?"

"No. She was too busy thinking about Sherlock to bother about him. She's starting to have snippets though. She thought there was something missing amongst the stars and this morning she was talking about time machines. Doctor, you have to find a way around this and come back for her."

"I can't just cheat death."

"Why not? You and Sherlock are the only men I know that could. Please Doctor. She needs a father."

"I'll think of something John. But I can't make any promises."

"Then send Rory this way and he can tell her."

"She is really his granddaughter I suppose. That must be what River was hinting at. Just a few more weeks John. Let her be for a few more weeks. Then you can tell her my name. She was raised by you and Sherlock Holmes. I'm sure she can take it from there." Slowly, John nodded. "Good. Then, Doctor John Hamish Watson, to old friends." He raised his tea in a toast. John raised his cup too.

"To old friends." The Doctor smiled and picked up the Stetson which seemed to have fallen off his head at some point.

"Goodbye John."

"Goodbye Doctor." The door closed and John was left alone.


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: Craig! With Alfie too. I threw in some more characters too later, so keep your eyes open.**

**But poor John. Now what's he supposed to do? And Lucy has been left alone while the doctor travels towards Utah and the Impossible Astronaut (The Wedding of River Song, series 6, episode 13 if anyone wanted to know, but I expect you already did.)**

* * *

Chapter 11

Lucy went straight upstairs after school. Uncle John wasn't back from the surgery yet, so that gave her some time alone to work out who her parents were. When she typed Song into the latest census (illegally obtained through Mycroft's account for all government documents) and found hundreds of Songs. She knew her father knew Sherlock and John from early on, but no Song came to visit them.

Maybe she should focus on her memories then. What was her earliest memory? Waking up in Uncle Sherlock's bed. Why didn't she remember anything before that?

Lucy decided to call it a night. She lay, staring at her stars, and drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

She was back outside St. Barts on that day. A man was holding her, stopping her from getting to Uncle Sherlock. _"It's not a sight for a young girl to see. One day. Not today." _She'd thought her was talking to her, but he hadn't he'd been talking to himself. She listened to his voice. _"One day. One day. One day. One day." _She knew that voice. _"Remember." _Remember. Remember Lucy. She willed herself to think back as far as she could. She could feel a cape around her. _"You remember Lucy. You remember Lucy. That you are loved. By Daddy, Mummy and defiantly by Grandpa Rory." _Lucy sat up. She had a lead. Grandpa Rory. It was the same man, she knew it was. That meant he lived in London. She couldn't work out why he was dressed as a Roman in her memory. That made no sense. Nor why he was so young. He must have been late twenties, early thirties? So why was he Grandpa Rory? Maybe it was just a name. Like Uncle John and Uncle Sherlock. But why Grandpa not Uncle?

Lucy heard the door open and close. Uncle John must be back. She put Rory the Roman (yeah, that sounded like a good name for him until she found out who she really was) to the back of her mind and ran to the kitchen, maths homework in hand and pretended she'd been there the whole time. Uncle John nodded at her as he went past, but he seemed distracted. Like there was something bothering him. She focused on the questions and ran to bed straight after dinner. But she didn't sleep. She logged straight onto Mycroft's account (he really needed to change his password. It had taken Lucy all of five minutes to work it out) and search for a Rory Song. No one. Maybe he had a different surname. What though?

She cross-referenced Rory with Roman. Unsurprisingly, nothing came up. The trail was dead. Lucy was about to turn her computer off when a message came through. From UNIT, whoever they were. She clicked on it. A file came up and she recognised the man immediately. It was him.

**_Rory Williams_**

_Also known as Rory Pond, Rory the Roman, the Last Centurion, the Nose._

_Profession: Nurse_

_Location: London. __See census entry_

_Marital Status: Amelia Pond, also known as Amy Pond, the Girl who Waited, Pond, the Legs __See UNIT file_

_Children: _

The screen disappeared. What a time for Mycroft to catch on. He'd be round first thing in the morning. Too bad she wouldn't be there. Rory and Amelia Williams or Pond. There couldn't be too many in the phone book. Williams maybe. But Rory wasn't that common and she knew he lived in London. Time to do this the old fashioned way. Sort of. The hospitals must have registers for who works for them and where they live.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

John opened the door, bleary eyed. What time of day did they call this?

"Good morning Doctor Watson."

"Mycroft. It's five in the morning. Do you ever sleep?"

"We had an incident last night John. May I come in?"

John nodded and headed for the kitchen.

"Tea?"

"I'm afraid pleasantries will have to wait John. This is about Lucy."

John left the kettle and went to sit down.

"What's wrong? Did they find out who she really was?"

"Someone hacked into the government server last night using my name and password. Luckily, we stopped them before they went too far."

"You think it was Lucy?"

"I have a list of the searches."

John looked down at the piece of paper.

"Song, Rory Song, Rory the Roman. She can't have found much. I just want to know how she found out about Rory."

"I presume an army man such as yourself has heard of UNIT?"

"Yes. They offered me a job once. Turned it down, went to Afghanistan and got shot."

"Biggest mistake of your life then."

"Not really. If I'd taken the job I would never have met Sherlock. What have UNIT got to do with this anyway?"

"They keep tabs on all of the Doctor's companions. Rory's a known companion. So searching Rory the Roman will bring up..."

"UNIT's file on him. How far did she get?"

"Enough to know she has to find a Rory Williams. I looked at the file. She's a quick reader. She probably knows he's a nurse and he's married to Amelia Pond."

"Amy."

"Sorry?"

"She prefers Amy. Either way, I'm sure this is just a misunderstanding. I met the Doctor yesterday, in a few weeks I'll tell her. He agreed."

"I see. Maybe you should check on her."

"Fine." John went upstairs to Lucy's room. He sat down on the end of the bed. "Lucy? Can you just wake up a second? Mycroft's here, he just wants to check something with you." She didn't respond. John couldn't hear breathing. "Lucy?" He started to panic. John pulled back the covers only find a pile of science books and pillows. He went over to her computer and wiggled the mouse. Nothing happened. He shouldn't have been surprised, she always turned it off and if she had been hacking into things she would have deleted her internet history. "Damn you Sherlock. Why would you teach her how to hack things?"

John ran back downstairs.

"Well?"

"She's gone. I need to know where Amy and Rory live right now."

* * *

Lucy stood awkwardly outside the front door. She was too scared to knock. They were probably asleep anyway. Why would she come so early?

She took a deep breath and rang the doorbell. A young man answered. It was him, she knew it was him. Lucy felt the excitement rising.

"Can I help you?"

"My name's Lucy Jane Song."

"Nice name. Mine's Rory Williams."

"I'm looking for someone."

"Anyone specific?"

"My parents."

"Can't help you there lass. I know exactly where my daughter is and I've only got the one."

"I know you though. You were there when Uncle Sherlock fell."

"I thought you looked familiar. You were the one desperate to get to him, weren't you?"

"That's not all I remember you from. You were a Roman when my parents left me with Uncle Sherlock and Uncle John."

"A Roman? Why would I be a Roman?"

"I don't know. I don't know why you called yourself Grandpa Rory either."

Rory didn't know what to say. He knew he couldn't tell her the truth. But he couldn't lie to her either. He wanted to tell her so much. He wanted his Lucy back.

"I think you must have me confused with someone else."

"No, it was you."

"Maybe it was just you putting a name and a face to a memory. I assure you, my daughter was only born a little while ago." Please John, get here soon, Rory thought. Please John. His wishes were granted.

"Lucy Jane Song, what do you think you're doing?" She turned around to face an extremely angry John Watson. "Leaving home at such a ridiculous time in the morning to come and bother this poor man? I am so sorry sir."

"No harm done. I was awake already, early morning shift at the hospital. Speaking of which, I really must be off."

"Lucy, you apologise now."

"Sorry."

"That's quite all right."

"I am so sorry sir. I won't keep you any longer. Come on you." John gripped Lucy's hand and practically dragged her down the path and out to the road. Rory watched them leave and went to work. This would be quite the story to tell Amy when he got home. If she was still talking to him.

John put Lucy in the car and plugged her in.

"Where are we going?"

"I am going home to get ready for work. You are grounded and are staying with Mycroft for the day."

"But, Uncle John, I promise I won't do anything else."

"No. You won't. Because you will be with Mycroft. And tomorrow you will be with Mrs Hudson. And the day after that you will be with me. And so it will go on until you have learnt your lesson."

Lucy nodded.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

_Eight months later_

John hadn't told her. He couldn't face the Doctor not coming back. First Sherlock, now him. He couldn't lose Lucy too. It was nearly Christmas in London. He'd have to find a way for her not to notice whichever aliens invaded this year.

John walked past a man selling newspapers.

"Sticking around this year?"

"Whatever happens we'll be fine."

"Aliens came."

"Not all of them are bad."

"You sound like you know."

"Maybe I do."

John picked up a newspaper and gave the man a quid.

"Keep the change."

"Thanks. You look familiar. Have we met?"

"I don't think so. I'm John Watson."

"Ah, of course. I've read your blog. Excellent. I'm Wilfred Mott."

"The name rings a bell. You haven't seen a police box recently have you?"

"Not recently, but I normally see one around Christmas time."

"So you have met him?"

"He died. I think it was my fault. When Gallifrey came back."

"No, he regenerated. I met him shortly after. But last time I saw him he said he was going to die."

"So we should leave this Christmas then."

"A past version might come back."

"I should keep Donna clear though. Don't want her remembering."

"Who's Donna?"

"My granddaughter. She traveled with him for a bit, but something happened and if she remembers, her mind will burn up."

"I'll have to keep Lucy clear too."

"Who's Lucy?"

"His daughter. He left her with Sherlock and me. She can't remember. It's too dangerous." Wilf nodded.

"He's always followed by trouble, however wonderful he is."

"I should go. Lucy will be home from school soon. I'll bid my farewells now then."

"Good day Doctor Watson."

John left Wilf, newspaper in hand, and went to pick Lucy up. She'd hate him for it, but he wasn't risking her running off again.

* * *

Lucy walked out of school, straight into Uncle John. He still didn't trust her. He walked her home and made her do her homework. After dinner she was sent straight to bed. She sat under the covers and read a book. _An Encyclopedia of British History. _She turned to a portrait of Queen Elizabeth I. There was a picture of a man. He looked familiar. She couldn't quite place him, but he was important. She flicked through the rest of the encyclopedia, but he wasn't mentioned again and he wasn't named. She couldn't remember him from any other books. Maybe she was looking at this the wrong way. When she'd searched for Rory the Roman a file from UNIT came up. That sounded suspicious. So maybe she should be searching for conspiracy theories.

Uncle John wouldn't mind her using the internet for a bit.

She typed Elizabeth I into Google. The first couple of pages would be proper historical records. She skipped down to a page, but it wouldn't open. All she could see was the extract.

_...he seems to have reappeared in the Tudor era, with reports saying he married __**Elizabeth I **__and later reports of encounters with __**Elizabeth **__during a Shakespeare play..._

It was a shame the man still wasn't given a name. She copied down the site URL. Maybe it would work in the library at slipped the bit of paper into her coat pocket, deleted her browsing history, and turned the computer off.

* * *

What the librarian thought of her sudden interest in conspiracy theories, Lucy didn't know, but at least the site opened. It was confusing. It just had a reference to another site, neither of which answered her questions, nor did it make sense as to why they all had different faces. There was only one name that kept cropping up.

The Doctor.

* * *

**Author's Note: Told you more people would crop up. **


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note: Thank you to everyone that's read, reviewed, followed or favourited. Here's another chapter as a thank you, because you're all so fantastic.**

**(Thanks to CaptainXena-Mation, some slight adjustment, it should be clearer as to who's speaking now)**

* * *

Chapter 14

Lucy fidgeted all through English, thinking more about what she had just read than Shakespeare's use of oxymorons. As soon as school ended she ran out. Uncle John wasn't there. She waited for about fifteen minutes, determined to ask him who this Doctor was and why he seemed so important, but he didn't come. Everyone had left so Lucy started to walk home. She never made it.

* * *

"Are you crazy?"

"Probably."

"Rory that is never going to work."

"It might."

"Rory."

"Give him a chance Amy, you never know. He might have a point."

"I was a Roman Centurion for 2000 years, I think I know a little about tactics."

"Did you plan any battles?

"No. But I fought in some and I did protect the Pandorica."

"Shut up Stupid Face. These aren't human. These are Slitheen."

"We can take them. We just need to ask the Doctor."

"I take it he's not dead then," John said, interrupting Amy and Rory's argument.

"No. He was. But then he wasn't. It was very confusing," Amy answered John.

"Right. And you two have seen him recently?"

"The other week. That's how we got back together."

"Fantastic."

"My Doctor always used to say Allons-y," another voice chipped in. John had introduced Wilf to the Ponds a few weeks after they'd met.

"Ours says Geronimo a lot," Rory said.

"And eats fish fingers and custard," Amy added.

"When did you meet him Wilf?" John asked.

"Christmas 2007? I was selling newspapers, but everyone else had left London. Then the Titanic crashed into Buckingham Palace. Almost. I guess he must have been aboard. It was a year after Donna was supposed to get married. He was at that too. Stopping aliens." John nodded.

"Ever heard of Slitheen before?"

"They infiltrated nothing less than Downing Street itself," another voice said. "My daughter helped stop them before she left for the parallel dimension." It was only now John realised just how many people had met the Doctor. Seated around the table were himself, Amy, Rory, Wilf, Craig (minus Alfie/Stormageddon) and four other people they'd met, Jackie Tyler, Sarah Jane Smith, Mickey Smith (no relation) and Martha Smith (married to said Mickey). Jackie had never travelled with him, her daughter had, similar to Wilf and his granddaughter. Martha and Mickey had, but hadn't met until later. Sarah Jane had travelled with him a long time ago. John looked at his watch.

"I have to run, I'm late for picking Lucy up." They bid him farewells, planning on carrying on with the meeting. They had to stop the Slitheen. John got a cab to Lucy's school, but she wasn't there, so he went straight to Baker Street. She wasn't there either. John waited ten minutes. He tried phoning her. No answer. He traced her route between Backer Street and school. Nothing. He tried her phone again. It rang out. John fumbled with the fob watch in his pocket. He ran back to the Pond's house.

"She's gone."

"Who's gone?" Amy asked, a look of concern on her face.

"Lucy. She's gone."

"She hasn't been here and she certainty won't be able to find River or the Doctor."

"But she's gone."

Rory put his arm around John. He wished he'd told her the truth when he'd had the chance.

"We'll find her," Rory promised. John couldn't help but doubt him.

"There's only two men that could find her and one's dead. The other could be anywhere in space and time."

"I guess we should call him then," Martha said.

"You can't just call him," Rory said.

"Why not?" Jackie asked. "I've got his number. Rose gave it to me." She added, seeing Amy's questioning look. She dialled the number, but didn't say anything. About two seconds later, there was a wheezing outside the front door. Amy ran to open it and hugged the Doctor as he walked in.

"Jackie Tyler, long time no see. Why would you phone me?" The Doctor looked around the room. "Well, this is a blast from the past. Sarah Jane, how's K-9? And Luke, Clyde and Rani of course."

"They'll be here in a minute, you can ask them yourself."

"And Wilf! Good old Wilf. Donna?"

"Doing well."

"Good. Mickey. And the beautiful Martha."

"Doctor."

"Craig. How's Sophie and Stormy?"

"Very well."

"The Ponds, my Ponds."

"Raggedy Man."

"And John. Good to see you John."

"Take it you didn't die then."

"Yes. Well, no I didn't. What's this about? You all look like you're having a little mother's meeting."

"We were discussing the Slitheen ship Mr Smith picked up on a scan," Sarah Jane said.

"Well, we'll have that sorted in a jiffy."

"That's not why we phoned you Doctor. It's Lucy. She's disappeared," Martha said.

"Lucy..."

"She never came back from school. I went to pick her up and..." John's voice trailed off.

"Did you tell her anything?"

"I couldn't. She found Rory by herself and ran off. I couldn't imagine it happening again." The Doctor slowly nodded as a response to John's statement. "We need you to find her Doctor. She could be anywhere."

"I'll start a scan." The Doctor walked into the TARDIS, nodding at the three teenagers that walked up to the house at the same time. John ran after him. "How could you let this happen John?" He asked, flicking switches.

"I tried Doctor. I've looked after her without incident for seven years, nearly eight. But she's sad Doctor. There's a sadness inside she can't get rid of. She thinks you and River abandoned her, then Sherlock abandoned her. Everyone at school laughs at her for having no parents, more so now all those stories about Sherlock came out."

"She must know none of its true."

"But deep down, she has doubts."

"How do you know?"

"I can see it in her eyes."

The Doctor turned back to the console.

"Do you think I should go and get River?"

"I think she'll come soon enough." The TARDIS bleeped.

"That can't be right."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Lucy couldn't stop shaking. The man kept asking her question questions about the mysterious man she'd read about on the website.

"Where is the Doctor?"

"I don't know."

"The Time Lord. Where is he?"

Was this the same man? Was that how he managed to appear in different places with different faces? Because he was an alien? Lucy instantly put the word alien from her mind. That wasn't the right word.

"Where is the Doctor?"

"Doctor Who?"

"Are you sure this is the right one?" the man turned to another person.

"All data suggests it is. He must have used the Chameleon Arch. The Family mentioned it."

"Then all we need to do is find the fob watch. A good thing we retrieved one of the Family then."

"Yes sir. I shall go and fetch her."

The other man left.

"So you really don't know who you are? Madam Kovarian will reward us greatly for your capture."

"Madam Kovarian is dead," a new voice came from the shadows. "Serves her right for kidnapping my wife and daughter. And now you can join her." Lucy looked on as a man, dressed as a Roman came into the light. "Unless you let my granddaughter go right now."

"You don't even have a weapon." The new man pulled out a sword. "Terrifying. Allow me to make myself more comfortable." The first man reached for his forehead and pulled his skin off. Standing in his place stood a large green thing. Lucy squirmed away in shock. "But you won't get close enough to use your sword, will you?"

"I don't need to." He pulled out a squirty bottle.

"What is that?"

"Calcium based life forms aren't you?" He pulled the handle and something shot out.

"What is that?"

"Vinegar. Now run." The green monster sprinted (slowly) out the room, avoiding the pool of acid on the floor. The Roman ran to Lucy's side.

"I've got you Lucy. I'm here now. Grandpa Rory's got you." Lucy tried to back away.

"Where's Uncle John?"

"This way. I'll take you to him."

"I want Uncle John."

"We've met before Lucy. A long time ago. It's me, Grandpa Rory."

"I don't know you."

"Rory Williams. But your father insists that it's Rory Pond."

"I don't know who you are."

"Rory the Roman. You knocked on my door a couple of months ago."

"You said you didn't know what I was talking about. How do I know you aren't one of the aliens?"

"I couldn't tell you Lucy. I couldn't. It wouldn't be allowed. Your father made me promise not to tell you unless John gave me permission. It's dangerous to know who you are."

"I want Uncle John." Three people walked in. "Uncle John!" Lucy ran up to him and buried herself in his jumper. She looked at the other man.

He was standing there awkwardly, his bow tie skewwhiff and his tweed jacket falling off. His arms looked dangerously like they were going to run away and he had impossibly old eyes. Rory the Roman put his hand on the man's shoulder.

"It's time Doctor."

"I can't Rory. You're too young, you wouldn't understand."

"Doctor. I'm over 2000 years old. And I'm your father in law. It's time. The look in your eyes. It's killing you." Lucy looked up at the strange man. The woman standing behind the man spoke.

"We know what it's like to lose a child Doctor. Every sadness imaginable is building up inside you. You need her, no matter what the dangers are. Fathers are there to protect their children, to scare away the monsters and save them."

"Right now, she needs a father."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

The Doctor didn't take his eyes off Lucy. She was the spitting image of a young Amelia Pond. He couldn't leave her. Not again. He nodded at John. John pulled the fob watch out of his pocket.

"Just press the button Lucy. Press it and you'll understand everything."

She nodded and a golden light enveloped her. She looked up him with a new light in her eyes.

"Daddy?" He grabbed her and didn't let go.

* * *

The TARDIS was waiting for them. The Doctor was still holding Lucy. A Slitheen stood in the way of the door, next to someone the Doctor had hoped he'd trapped forever.

"Hello Doctor. I like the new face."

"Why are you here?"

"You must pay for what you did to my family. You took my husband from me and my son and daughter. You trapped us Doctor. Now it's time to repay the favour. Hand us the girl."

"No. She doesn't remember who she is. Just leave her be."

"You don't understand Doctor. Hand us the girl and your friends go free."

A circle of Slitheen surrounded him. They each were holding someone. Sarah Jane, Luke, Clyde, Rani, Wilf, Mickey, Martha, Jackie, Craig. Three grabbed Amy, Rory and John before they had time to relax.

"You can save them Doctor. Just hand us the girl."

"Why don't I just give you the watch?"

"Pulling the same trick twice won't work Doctor. Hand us the girl."

He put Lucy down and looked at his friends. What would they say?

_"Look after Lucy Doctor. Don't worry about me. I'll see Sherlock again."_

_"Don't let them touch her Doctor. She's your daughter. You need her."_

_"Let us go Raggedy Man."_

_"It's time Doctor. My life is ending. Hers is beginning. Save her."_

He turned to Craig. _"Having a child is the most wonderful thing Doctor. Treasure every second of it." _You'd know, wouldn't you Craig? You've got a Stormy at home waiting for you. Sarah Jane, you've got Luke. Those three are only young. Mickey, Martha, don't think I didn't notice that bump. You've all got so much to live for. I'm old.

"You just want a Time Lord. Does it matter which one?" He stepped forwards, but was blasted back again.

"Oh Doctor. It does. You made my family suffer. Now it's your turn." She grabbed Lucy's hand. Lucy screamed, but there was nothing he could do. A blast came from behind him and one of the Slitheen fell.

"Hello sweetie. What have you been doing?"

_River._

"What took you so long?"

"I had to break out of Stormcage first."

"Everyone, this is River. She's a cracking shot. I really shouldn't find that so attractive."

"Stop flirting. Especially in front of us. That is my daughter you're talking about Doctor."

"Sorry Rory."

"River, don't kill them all, that's not fair. Just stop them for long enough for everyone to get into the TARDIS."

"Yes dad." River started by taking a shot at Mother. "You get your hands off my daughter."

Lucy was picked up by Rory and carried into the TARDIS. The Doctor pulled River in and the TARDIS dematerialised and they left the ship.

"Did you just leave a Slitheen ship hanging above the Earth, ready to attack?"

"Of course not River. I disabled their weapons system, you killed Mother-"

"No less than she deserved."

"They'll have no choice other than to turn away. They know the Earth is under my protection, they've tried before. They've been up against Sarah Jane. They'll turn away."

"If you say so sweetie. I think you should hang around for a bit too."

"I can't. She's in danger. I have to hide her somewhere else." The both of them looked over to corner Lucy was sat in. She was on her own.

"You'd think Doctor Watson would be over there at least." John was talking to Amy and Rory. The three of them looked worried.

"She's pushing them all out."

"Then talk to her."

"You're her mother."

"You're her father. If she remembers, she remembers you most. You were always there. You were the one that had to leave her. She doesn't understand. Talk to her."

The TARDIS landed. The Doctor looked at his screen. Exactly five minutes after they had left, outside Craig's house.

"Why doesn't everyone stay and have some dinner?" River asked.

"Craig, we're outside your house if you want to fetch Sophie and Stormy." He ran outside quickly. "River? Can you cook?" She looked at him. "Course you can. Why don't you head down to the kitchen?"

"I'll help," Sarah Jane said and went after her.

"Lucy. Why don't you come with me and find some clean clothes?" She looked down at her torn school uniform. She nodded and followed him up some stairs. Neither of them said anything until they reached a room and he opened a door. "Oooh look, a bunk bed. Bunk beds are cool. Look, it has a ladder! What could be cooler?" She looked at him. "And a wardrobe. It's huge. So many clothes. I prefer just one. I have quite a collection of bow ties though. I did have a hat collection too, but I think River deleted it." Lucy didn't say anything. "But there's a fez in here. Do you mind?" He picked it up.

"Why did you leave me?"

"Oh, Lucy." He knelt down in front of her. "I couldn't bring you. It was too dangerous."

"More dangerous than the time that planet invaded the TARDIS? We were in a room, and he deleted it."

"Yes. Demons Run. It was a battle. There were soldiers. Headless Monks. I needed help and I wasn't dragging you into it. I can't lose you."

"But you never came back."

"I was told I was going to die very soon."

"But you aren't dead."

"No, I found a way around it."

"You still never came back."

"I'm sorry Lucy."

"And you took my memories."

"Your Time Lord essence. It was the only way to leave you untraceable. To keep you safe. I had to keep you safe."

"By leaving me?"

"I'm here now."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Lucy pulled out a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.

"Casual. Normal."

"Needs a quirk."

"Needs a quirk."

She pulled a jumper out.

"You always wear a suit."

"Well, my fifth version looked like he belonged on a cricket pitch with his vegetable."

"Smartly dressed though."

"A formal dress is just impractical."

"What about trousers and a shirt? And a long coat, like Uncle Sherlock."

"Not really quirky."

"I could have a cape like Grandpa Rory."

"Capes are cool. Maybe a bit too quirky though and it might get in the way of the running. Although, Rory seems to manage it and my third incarnation wore one for a bit."

"I could wear my boats with it instead."

"What boats would these be?"

"Walking boats. Proper ones."

"Can you run in them?"

"Yep. Not fantastically, but you manage to run in converses."

"Boots it is. Sure you wouldn't like to wear a vegetable? Maybe broccoli? Not beans. Beans are evil."

"Pretty sure you're the only one that could pull that off."

"Not like this. No hat?"

"Probably fall off. I might pick one up somewhere. You seem to just nick them."

"I do not. No one was using the fez and Craig gave me the Stetson."

Lucy smiled.

"Dinner's ready."

Lucy pulled the new clothes on while the Doctor went to tell River they'd be down in a second. She ran after him.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

John sat next to her at dinner, knowing he was about to lose her. If only Sherlock were still here. He laughed and smiled, but underneath he was about to break. Lucy had been the only thing holding him together after the fall, but she was a Time Lord now. She wouldn't stay. She'd go with him, he knew she would.

John was the last one on the Doctor's list to leave. They dropped everyone off, using the TARDIS to arrive outside everyone's house, after taking a little trip up to space, the Doctor realising Craig had never actually been in his TARDIS before and several had never seen the Earth from space.

"Time to go then John."

"I take it you finally came round. Lucy's staying with you?" She nodded.

"I'll come and visit Uncle John."

"Make sure you do." He stepped out the TARDIS. "Doctor? This isn't right. This is St Barts."

"This is the day John. Just watch." John almost broke down as Sherlock walked through the door with Molly. He looked over, horrified.

"John. What are you doing here?" Sherlock looked behind him and saw the TARDIS. "So it worked."

"You died."

"I am planning to fake my death. They have three assassins, each pointing a sniper at one of my closest friends. You, Mrs Hudson and Lestrade. They seem to have forgotten Molly here, but that's good. If they do shoot at least one of you won't be hurt."

"Will you ever come back?"

"In two, three years, maybe. If I can track down Moriaty's men and stop them. I need them to think I died, so that they won't hurt you."

"Do me a favour Sherlock. Come back soon."

"The Doctor's here John. You could just skip forwards."

"I can't leave Mrs Hudson."

"Lucy's leaving with him, isn't she."

"You would not believe what we've been through today. But it was nothing compared to losing you. I knew as soon as he showed up she'd be safe. I was going to lose her, but I knew I would see her again. I thought I'd lost you forever."

"John. You could never lose me. You're my best friend."

"And you're mine. Just remember to phone the other me, to leave a note."

"I will. One day, Doctor John Hamish Watson, we shall meet again."

"Until then Sherlock Holmes." John stepped back inside the TARDIS, a new spring in his step. "221B please Doctor."

"When?"

"The same date you arrived on. Maybe the evening. Someone needs to look after Mrs Hudson."

* * *

True to his word, the Doctor dropped John off about nine.

"Where've you been?"

"I met an old friend. We had dinner caught up, the usual."

"Where's Lucy?"

"That was the friend Mrs Hudson. Lucy's father. She's gone home."

"Took him long enough to get back."

"He's been in battle."

"For seven years? He's been a soldier for seven years?"

"He's not a soldier Mrs Hudson. He's a Doctor."

"Well, at least she knows he didn't abandon her now."

John heard a knock at the door. Lucy and the Doctor were standing there.

"What did you forget?"

"To say goodbye to Mrs Hudson and to tell you I'll be back next week."

"To visit?"

"No. Forever. He's my dad Uncle John. But someone needs to keep you in check. We're going to have adventures every weekend, then I can still go to school." Mrs Hudson appeared over his shoulder. "You can't be on your own."

"Well Lucy, good luck. Evening Doctor."

"Martha Hudson, well I never."

"You're the girl's father?"

"Indeed I am. How have you been?"

"I'm well Doctor, I'm well."

"You two have met?"

"John, I'm eleven hundred years old. I've met a lot of people. Sadly, never Robin Hood."

"Can we go and find him? Please?"

"Come on then Lucy. Next stop, Sherwood Forest." John watched the two of them wander back to the TARDIS. She looked so happy, so content.

"Lucy, I'm not on my own," he called, looking across the road. A shadowy figure was standing there. "You belong with him. School's not important when you have a walking encyclopedia with you. Doctor, just make sure you keep her education up and look after her." John turned back to Lucy. "You need to come and visit. At least at Christmas time." She nodded. "Look after yourself Lucy. I'll see you soon." She stepped into the TARDIS, then ran out and hugged him.

"Bye Uncle John. Thanks for everything. You were more than a father."

.

END OF PART ONE

.

* * *

**Author's Note: I hope you liked it! Thanks for reading it, I guess if you're reading this you at least skimmed the whole thing. Part 2 is on the way and Merlin is back...**


	19. Chapter 19

**Author's Note: And here it is, part 2. A short chapter for now- more of a prologue- but more is on it's way and, as promised, Merlin is back... **

* * *

"Seriously? You never told her?"

"No. That's River's job. She made her."

"That's not what we meant Doctor. We mean, tell her the story of when you found out."

"Oh. That story. How?"

Lucy looked around the room. Uncle John was sitting next to Uncle Sherlock, miraculously returned from the dead in time for Christmas and Uncle John's engagement. Grandpa Rory had expressed his gladness that he'd decided against jumping out a cake. Apparently her dad had done that at his stag party. Lucy laughed. He was so silly. It was almost as if he were a child too. Grandpa Rory and Grandma Amy had told her all about the time they'd found out about Amy being pregnant. Craig had told her what Sophie had said. Lucy looked at Martha's bump. That's why she'd asked. She wanted to know where she'd come from. She'd spent all that time not knowing. The TARDIS seemed to agree with her. She could feel the old girl humming, encouraging him to tell her.

"How did it start though?" he mused.

"I'll tell you how it started Doctor," an old man said, striding in. "It all started with a boy."


	20. Chapter 20

Merlin was running. Again. Why all the running?

He stopped and leant against a tree. He must have lost it by now. I mean, really? It was quite clear that whoever- whatever- had been chasing them was not Gaius. He was back at Camelot. Thank the gods.

No. Merlin had a job to do. He had to protect Arthur. He was hurting enough from Morgana disappearing for a year then betraying him. She might have gone evil, but she was still his friend, and he now knew she was also his half-sister. That made the pain even worse, Merlin could see it in Arthur's eyes. And now it looked like Gaius had turned against them. Poor Sir Leon. Merlin still couldn't believe what he'd seen. It was like magic, but it wasn't. He carried on, walking this time. Merlin was so deep in thought that he didn't even notice when he walked straight into a blue box. He looked at it. Merlin could read, but these words made no sense. What on Earth was a police?

* * *

Arthur was frantic. He'd instructed the knights to take Leon back to Camelot, straight to Gaius. The thing wasn't Gaius. The physician could never do that. It was too unbelievable. That and he'd seen it change into his father right before his eyes. Camelot was in danger. His duty as prince was to his people. He should head back. But his duty as Arthur was to his friend and he couldn't find Merlin anywhere.

"Merlin?" Arthur followed the footprints. He heard noises from behind him. "Oh, Merlin, you're all right, thank-" Arthur stopped as Gwaine stepped out of the bushes. "I thought I told you to go back to Camelot?"

"Without Merlin?"

"We have a duty to the people of Camelot. To protect them from creatures such as that."

"And yet here we are, looking for a boy."

"He's not just a boy though, is he."

"Don't tell him you said that?"

"Or I'll put you in the stocks."

"Really? I thought they belonged to Merlin exclusively."

They both laughed, remembering Merlin's many public appearances in the stocks. Almost straight away they stopped. How could they laugh when Merlin was missing? Another shuffle. Arthur turned around hopeful, Gwaine drew his sword. Arthur looked at him.

"Too heavy for Merlin." Arthur nodded and drew his sword too. The footsteps approached and Lancelot stumbled into the clearing.

"Arthur, Gwaine. Thank goodness."

"Did any of you actually head back to Camelot?"

"Elyan took Leon."

"Percival, really?"

"Merlin's missing."

"So, aside from Elyan and Leon, you all came?"

"Nope." Arthur heard another voice and sighed. "Including Elyan and Leon."

"Leon, you're injured, go and find Gaius."

"Not without Merlin. It's not that bad. I've had worse."

"Clearly. So who's protecting Camelot?"

"The King has his own knights and guards. We won't be long after all, we just need to find Merlin," Gwaine said.

"Speaking of which." Elyan pointed to the far corner of the clearing. Merlin stumbled in.

"Been to the tavern recently?"

"What? Gwaine?"

"Yes Merlin. What happened to you?"

"We don't have time for this, we need to get back to Camelot."

"Arthur?"

"All of us are here Merlin," Lancelot said.

"Even Leon?"

"Over here."

"Why?"

"Because we couldn't go back to Camelot without you. You sat at the Round Table with us Merlin, you might not be a knight, but you are one of us." Arthur looked at Lancelot. He couldn't have put it any better, not that he would have admitted it to Merlin.

"Camelot. Now." Arthur strode away, followed by Percival and Elyan supporting Leon while Lancelot carried their things.

"You should have seen him. He was so worried about you. We all were."

"Thanks Gwaine. For staying."

"Hey, what else could I do? Lancelot's right, you're our friend. I wouldn't even be a knight without you."

"No you wouldn't. To Camelot?"

"To Camelot."


	21. Chapter 21

The Doctor watched the boy leave. So this was the famous Merlin. Shame he didn't really have a beard. He's always liked the idea of a bearded wizard bossing around the king. Never mind. He had seemed shocked when he saw the inside of the TARDIS.

"It's bigger on the inside." The Doctor chuckled. So he could even surprise Merlin. Now that was something.

He went back to thinking about what Merlin had said. A creature that looked like his uncle, Gaius with things that came out a metal rod and hurt Sir Leon. He'd been separated from his friends. Another one chased him. First it looked like Morgana. Then it- changed. To Gaius. Then Arthur. Defiantly not magic. He would know if it were magic. That left it open to the Doctor's expertise. Science! Because science is cool.

Shape shifting things. Well, that narrowed it down. Clearly wasn't Daleks or Cybermen or anything. Anyhow, shape shifters. Zygons? Possibly Nestine Duplicates, but unlikely. Maybe something new? Well, he'd just have to find out.

But how to tell the difference between the original and the duplicate? Merlin might be able to tell some, if he knew them. Obviously there was that time when he didn't know, but that wasn't important.

So someone who would know. Someone clever. Someone with- oh. Of course. Time to pay a visit to London.

* * *

**Author's Note: Yeah, it's short again. I'm so sorry. Promise they'll be longer later. Much more happens, this is more of a filler I guess. **

**And of course science is cool. Science is very cool, it's up there with maths and bow ties. Anyone want to hear a physics joke? They've got great potential, but chemistry jokes always get a better reaction. **


	22. Chapter 22

**Author's Note: Thank you people that read my insanity! You know what is cool? Bow ties. You know what else? You guys. Wouldn't be doing this without you. Have a chapter as a thank you.**

* * *

John sat at the table. Maybe now he had something to write in his blog. His therapist, Ella had thought it would be a good idea to write a blog. He'd never really had anything to write about before. Life had been dull. Then Mike Stamford introduced him to Sherlock Holmes. From that first wink, he'd been hooked. He'd finish typing up "_A Study in Pink" _in a minute. First it was time for tea. Sherlock was at the morgue with Molly, doing goodness knows what, but he didn't mind. It was the first proper day of rest he'd had for a while.

There was a wheezing in the hallway. John ignored it, putting it down to his imagination. His phone vibrated. Just Sherlock.

_Open the front door- SH_

_Don't you have a key? - John_

_It's blocked- SH_

_Not as far as I'm aware- John_

_Then you won't mind coming down and opening it- SH_

John got up, leaving his half-finished blog entry open. Honestly, there was nothing wrong with the door. He reached the bottom of the stairs then stopped.

_Why is there a 1950s Police Box in the hallway? – John_

_What? - SH_

John heard a noise and turned around to see Sherlock walking in from the kitchen.

"How did you get in?"

"Window." He ignored John's questions and looked at the box. "What is it?"

"It's a police box, it says. Haven't seen one of these for ages and I have no idea how it got here."

"It wouldn't fit through the door. That's impossible." Sherlock ran his fingers over it. "It's an impossible box."

"They used to be all over London."

"Not this one. Look at the wood John. It looks new. This is a new box."

"It can't be."

"Has anything strange happened here today?"

"I heard a noise, a sort of _vworp vworp _is the best I can describe it and that's a bit rubbish. Kind of like running a key up and down a piano."

"How would you know what that sounds like?"

"Long story."

Sherlock squeezed around. There wasn't much room between the wall and the door. There was no way the door would open, it was a pull door. He looked at the hinges. It was a push door. Another thing to add to the list of strange things about this box. He pushed and found himself in an impossible room.


	23. Chapter 23

Merlin was talking to Arthur about the strange man. He'd manage to convince Arthur the Doctor wasn't a sorcerer, he couldn't do magic to save his life. Of course, he couldn't explain to Arthur why he knew that, he had to say that it was because the man had tried to magic and failed.

"If it's the only way to save Camelot, then I will accept the help of this man. But I cannot leave my people."

"I won't leave you."

"I know you won't. But if this is the only way, you must find your friend." Merlin nodded. He knew where to go. He didn't want to leave Arthur, but Camelot always came first for the young prince. Merlin was proud of him. Arthur wasn't the arrogant prat he'd been when they first met, he was a good man. When his time came, Merlin had no doubt he'd unite Albion and he might even accept magic. Maybe he wouldn't have to hide anymore. Merlin couldn't wait to introduce his solution to his friend.

* * *

It was the right clearing. So why wasn't the box there? It had been there before. But it had gone. Merlin knew it was the right place. It was. The Doctor had left? But he'd said he's help. Merlin's heart sank. He turned to leave when a noise made his ears prick up.

* * *

**Author's Note: Short again, sorry everyone. They look so much longer on Word. **


	24. Chapter 24

Sherlock couldn't believe his eyes. A man was standing in the centre of the room, playing with buttons. Sherlock tried to read him.

_Young. Clever. Can be childish. Old clothes. Sentimental? _

The man looked at him and Sherlock stared into his incredibly old eyes. Every theory forming in his head was evaporating.

"Hello. I'm the Doctor and you must be Sherlock Holmes."

"Doctor Who?"

"No, just the Doctor."

"That's not a name."

"Always worked well enough for me."

"Who are you?"

"I'm a client Mr Holmes. I would have thought that was obvious. I knocked and everything." The man seemed genuinely confused. Almost as if he expected Sherlock to know him.

"How did you get the police box in the hallway?"

"It's not a police box, she's my TARDIS."

"What's a TARDIS?" Sherlock heard the door close and heard John gasp.

"It's bigger on the inside."

"Oh, I love it when people say that. You didn't say it."

"It's an impossible box, why would it be surprising for it to be bigger on the inside?"

"Because it breaks the laws of physics?" John said.

"Apparently not. John, you should know my knowledge of physics is rather limited. It's not useful to me, therefore I deleted it."

"Hello, you must be Doctor Watson. I'm the Doctor."

"Doctor Who?"

"Just the Doctor. To answer your question Mr Holmes, TARDIS stands for Time and Relative Dimension in Space. In short-"

"It's a time machine."

"Time and space machine Doctor Watson. The old girl can move in time and space."

"Are you from the future?"

"I've been there. I've been to the past. It's hard to define the point I'm from. I haven't been there for a while."

"How long?"

"About 900 years."

"So you aren't human?"

"And they say you're the only one that can deduce Mr Holmes! You are correct Doctor Watson, I'm not human. I'm a Time Lord."

"You look human."

"No, you look Time Lord."

Sherlock was still watching John. He seemed to have got over the initial shock and was rather enjoying himself. He wasn't going to leave, was he? Sherlock seemed startled that the fear had even crossed his mind. They'd only met a week ago. He couldn't deny he didn't like the good doctor though.

"Why are you here? You said you were a client. What do you need?"

"Guess."

"I do not guess." Sherlock couldn't believe this man, who claimed to be so old, could act so young.

"Go on."

"Not a love affair. Not a murder. Maybe looking for your home? But you left it so long ago, either you can't go back or don't want to. You said you weren't human. There have been stories of aliens. Something to do with that."

"Oh, you are good Mr Holmes! It is entirely something to do with aliens. And King Arthur. Only he's only the prince at the moment and don't talk to Merlin about magic, he's not allowed to tell anyone and don't talk to him about beards either, he was very touchy."

"You want us to help you fight an alien invasion with King Arthur and Merlin?"

"Yes Doctor Watson. If you would be so kind. It's a bit complicated. Explain on the way?"

"Isn't that cheating?"

"Do you remember aliens in the legends?"

"No."

"Then no, it's not cheating. If it was a fixed point maybe, but it's not and that's what I do. I help people."

John looked at Sherlock. He shrugged. John looked excited. Maybe it would be fun. Puzzles to solve, that sort of thing.

"When do we leave?"


	25. Chapter 25

Merlin watched, wide-eyed, as the box materialised in the clearing. The door opened and the strange man looked out.

"Merlin! I thought you'd gone back to Camelot to find Arthur?"

"He sent me to find you to help."

"Oh. I went to fetch some friends." Two men, one tall with curly black hair and one short with sandy hair, a bit like Arthur's. "This is Mr Sherlock Holmes and Doctor John Watson. Mr Holmes, Doctor Watson, this is Merlin. Don't say anything about magic or beards."

"You just did Doctor."

"Oh yeah. So I did."

"Pleased to meet you." The man, John, held his hand out to Merlin. "Have they started handshakes yet Doctor?"

"No, don't think so."

"Right." John put his hand back in his pocket.

"Doctor Watson, it is an honour," Merlin replied, hoping his polite tone would make up for not knowing why he had stuck his hand out.

"Just John is fine. We're all friends here, right?" Merlin nodded. The Doctor seemed ecstatic about that statement. "Sherlock?"

"Friends." He seemed to not understand the true meaning of the word. Merlin would have to change that. It wasn't good for people not to have friends.

"So Merlin, can you tell us exactly what you saw?" John asked.

"It wasn't magic. I can tell you that. But the thing could change form. One minute it was Gaius, my guardian, then it was the Crown Prince Arthur Pendragon."

"Who is your best friend."

"No- I- how did you know?"

"You paused before you said his full title. You aren't used to calling him that. The Doctor said you went back to find Arthur when he greeted you. You're his servant, yet you call him by his name. He trusted you enough to look for the Doctor and bring him to help. Sorcery is banned in Camelot, but what the Doctor does appears to be magic. Yet he still trusts your judgement. You are close, you trust each other. You must be friends. Your reaction confirms you see Prince Arthur as your best friend."

"Sherlock, stop showing off."

"I don't mind Doctor Watson- John," Merlin added, seeing the man's expression. "Is that why you brought him Doctor? It's a rather wonderful gift Sherlock." It was a strange name, Merlin mused. But then, he could hardly talk.

Sherlock nodded and looked at the Doctor. His eyes seemed questioning, but he didn't say anything. The Doctor nodded.

"Which way's Camelot Merlin?"


	26. Chapter 26

Arthur stared at the wall. Whoever that was not his father. Something was very wrong with Camelot.

He heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

"Arthur?" Merlin asked. "Why are you in the dungeon?"

He stood up and looked at his manservant. He thought Merlin would at least have the decency to look concerned, but he was struggling not to laugh.

"Merlin, why don't you open the door instead of standing there gaping like an idiot?"

"I don't have a key."

"So why did you come down here?"

"Because Gwen said you were down here."

"So you came without a key."

"Don't worry Merlin, I have this." A new man wearing strange clothes tumbled down the stairs and beamed at Arthur. "Hello sire, I'm the Doctor." He had something in his hand. A long stick or something.

"This is the man you went to fetch Merlin?" He's mad, Arthur thought, but didn't say it out loud. A buzzing sound came from the stick and the lock clicked. The Doctor opened the door. "What is that?"

"It's a sonic screwdriver. It's not magic, it's science. Merlin told me there's no magic in Camelot. He made me prove I don't have magic. I don't."

Arthur walked out the cell.

"Someone is posing as the king. It seems likely it was the creature we met in the forest." Two more people walked down the stairs.

"Arthur, this is Sherlock Holmes and John Watson."

"Sire," John said, bowing. Sherlock was looking around in wonder, until John pulled him down. He looked at the Doctor and grinned.

"An interesting case Doctor. Where do we start?"

Arthur looked at the man.

"Where are you from?"

"London."

"Where's that?"

"It's in the future," John explained. "I'd explain more but-"

"Spoilers."

* * *

The voice came from the shadows. The Doctor turned around and smiled. A woman stepped into view.

"Hello sweetie."

"River! Why are you here?"

"Helping. Felt like a trip. Arthurian Britain Doctor? My favourite."

"Better."

"I see that. Arthurian Britain with Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. Oh, you are a bad boy. Too much meddling isn't good Doctor." She was smiling anyway.

"Who is this Doctor?"

"Merlin. This is River Song. River, this is Merlin. He doesn't have a beard. This is Prince Arthur of Camelot, that's Sherlock Holmes, Earth's only consulting detective in his time, and over there is Doctor John Watson."

"What are those things Doctor? The ones posing as the king?" John asked.

"I think they might be Zygons."

"Zygons. What are Zygons?" Merlin asked.

"Shape shifting aliens."

"How-" John didn't finish. Someone was coming down the stairs.


	27. Chapter 27

Sherlock scanned the new man. He was well built, clearly one of the knights. Arthur seemed to know him.

"Gwaine." More people followed him. "Why is it you never do what I say?"

"Elyan's staying with Gwen. He is her brother. He can handle anything."

"He won't have to do it on his own."

"Guinevere?" Arthur hugged the serving girl, then straightened himself and glared at the newcomers, daring them to criticise him. Sherlock didn't see what was wrong, then realised that Arthur was the prince and she wasn't nobility. So much for the legends. Queen Guinevere a simple serving girl? "What are you doing here? It's dangerous."

"Arthur, we made a pact together. The Round Table. Remember? I told you I would be here for you and it looks like you need help again."

Sherlock could tell Arthur wasn't going to argue. The girl had calloused hands, she was used to work. Her brother was a knight though.

"Doctor, what do you suggest?" Arthur turned to the bowtie wearing alien.

"To the TARDIS. I need to get my ding machine."

"You need all of us to go?" Sherlock asked.

"No. But we're a gang now, we should stick together. They'll be Zygons everywhere. They're like that Zygons. To the TARDIS!"

A line of people followed him up the stairs. Sherlock came last with the boy, Merlin.

"Tell me something Merlin. Why is it that Guinevere is a servant and her brother a knight?"

"Arthur broke the rules. Out of Gwaine, Lancelot, Percival, Elyan and Leon, Leon's the only noble." Sherlock looked at him. "We had an incident last year. Morgana invaded Camelot and Arthur was forced to flee. We were the ones that never gave up on him. Gaius too, but he's in the castle somewhere. He's the physician. But anyway, Arthur broke the rules a bit. He knighted all of them, except Leon who was already a knight, even though they were commoners. We're his friends."

"And Guinevere is his love?"

"Neither of them can admit it while Uther's on the throne, but I can tell they love each other. I just hope Uther doesn't try and force another marriage on him before he can marry Gwen."

Sherlock nodded. So, Arthur wasn't an average noble. He had faith in his friends. That was good. Sherlock refused to work with people that were too stuck up.

* * *

Merlin liked Sherlock. He wasn't good with people, but he seemed honest. He carried on talking to him, telling him all about his adventures with Arthur. Sherlock had asked about his magic in a low voice, so no one else could hear, not that they were paying much attention. He'd promised not to tell anyone and Merlin believed him. He seemed trustworthy. He reminded Merlin of himself a little. Excluded from the world for being different, with only a few friends. He even looked a little similar, but Sherlock was older.

Merlin stopped talking as they caught up with the knights, Arthur, John and River. The Doctor was inside his blue box.

John walked up to Sherlock and smiled.

"To think, I was planning on spending my day typing up the case."

"Yes. _A Study in Pink. _Could you not have thought of a more imaginative name?"

"You read it? I haven't finished it yet. How have you read it already?"

"You left it on the table."

"Yes, but I didn't want anyone to read it."

"You intend to put it on your blog."

"Yes. Unless you would rather I didn't."

"No, be my guest. It would make for better reading than the other rubbish that you currently have on there."

Merlin didn't know what a blog was, but it sounded like John was writing a book about his life. He must be famous. Merlin voiced his thought and, to his surprise both John and Sherlock laughed.

"No, he's not famous. There are a lot more people that write about their lives in the future. Almost everyone does it, and they aren't all in books either. We have this thing called the internet."

"What's the internet?"

"Spoilers John." River walked over. "Sorry Merlin, but you can't know too much about the future. It's dangerous."

"Never mind. Maybe I'll find out one day."

Merlin left John, River and Sherlock to talk about futury stuff and went to see what Arthur was doing. He was talking to Gwen. Merlin stood awkwardly on the edge of the group until someone tapped him on the shoulder. Lancelot smiled at him.

"Well this is all very strange."

"You're telling me."

"You said they aren't magic? Will yours work against them?"

"I don't know. We'll have to hope."

* * *

River was starving. She was desperate for something to eat, but they had a job to do first. Honestly, she had never felt so famished in her life.

"River? What's wrong?"

"Just a tad hungry my love. Nothing to worry about."

"Are you sure?"

"Quite sure." Her stomach rumbled.

"It's not like you. Here." He ran off, only to emerge from the TARDIS a few seconds later with some sandwiches. "Eat. When was the last time you ate?"

"I don't know. It couldn't have been more than a few hours ago."

"Maybe you're ill. You could stay here while we sort this out."

"And let you have all the fun? Dream on sweetie. Let's go and find these Zygons."

"That's my River."

* * *

**Author's Note: Ooh look, the Doctor has a gang! I hope you like it, thanks everyone for reading, reviewing, following, favouriting, just being fantastic and brilliant. On to the next chapter. Allons-y! Geronimo! **


	28. Chapter 28

Arthur left the knights and walked over to Merlin.

"Merlin, what are you doing? Where did Lancelot go?"

"I don't know sire."

"Are you feeling all right Merlin?"

"Yes sire. Quite all right." Arthur nodded. Merlin wandered off to do something. Arthur stood contemplating his friend. He turned to Gwaine.

"I need you to go back to Camelot, protect the people and look for the king."

"Arthur, we aren't leaving you."

"Yes you are. I don't care what you say this time. You need to do this. I will find you when the Doctor works out what we need to do."

"Arthur…"

"Gwaine. I'm not asking. This is an order. Take Gwen with you. And don't you dare come back."

"But we don't know where Lancelot is."

"I know. But this is important Gwaine. Go back."

"Very well sire."

He nodded and told the others. Arthur watched as his friends left, leaving just him and Merlin, who was still looking curiously at a tree.

"Are we heading back to Camelot Arthur?"

"Shortly Merlin."

"Very well Arthur, I shall go and prepare your horse."

* * *

Arthur left him to it and walked over towards the Doctor.

"How do those things change? Can they be anyone?"

"Pretty sure they can. Why?"

"Because Lancelot's disappeared and the last one to seen with him was Merlin who is now acting strange. More strange than normal."

"He was being very polite earlier."

"Exactly. Merlin's never that polite unless there's another noble around."

"He's only called you Arthur since we've been here," Sherlock pointed out. "Was Lancelot acting like his usual self?"

"I think so."

"Doctor, do these creatures also gain memories as well as appearances?"

"Enough to help them get into character."

"Then it must have picked the wrong half of Merlin's memory. It's remembered the half where he's polite around others, acting a servant would to his master. Perhaps it's because you said you were a Time Lord Doctor. It's put you in the noble's category."

"I've met Zygons before. They would know better."

"But if Arthur says it isn't Merlin, then it must be one of them. The most likely conclusion would be that it was impersonating Lancelot, then switched to Merlin when they were talking."

"So where's Merlin?"

* * *

**Author's Note: Sorry Merlin, but it had to be done. It was your own fault really, don't blame me, I just wrote it down. These characters can be a pain sometimes. Never let the story go as planned, they always do things to change it.**

**Also, I would like to thank everyone that's left reviews, you are awesome. Also thank you to everyone that's followed and favourited, and everyone that's read this. It's nice to know people are enjoying this. Thank you! **


	29. Chapter 29

Perhaps it wasn't the most well thought out plan he'd ever had. Possibly it was a bit reckless. Maybe it was an idiotic thing to do. But then, someone had to do something. Even if he was now stuck. In fairness, he'd been in worse situations.

"You are an idiot sometimes, aren't you Merlin?" Arthur's voice said, but when he turned around Arthur wasn't there. How had it come to this? One minute he'd been talking to Lancelot, the next he was where ever this was. It was quite clear to Merlin that Lancelot wasn't himself. He was one of the creatures. So Merlin had decided it would be a good idea to lead him away from everyone else. Apparently, he was wrong. He had no idea where he was. He could be in Cendred or Lot's kingdom for all he knew. And his head was _killing _him.

He had to get back to Arthur.

Merlin looked around, certain that there would be some clue as to where he was. He walked out the clearing and came face to face with a terrifying monster.

"What are you?"

It didn't answer him, just stood there. Merlin watched on in horror as the creature morphed into a version of himself.

"I wonder if I have your magic." It tried something. "Apparently not."

"What do you want?"

"Isn't it obvious? So much for the clever sorcerer." It shot something at him and Merlin felt his legs freeze. "Stay here."

The Merlin copy walked off and left the real Merlin alone.

* * *

"Doctor." He looked at River. She sounded scared. River didn't get scared. "How did the Zygons get here?"

"I don't know. The TARDIS is running scans for a ship. Why?"

"Because I can't see any sign of Merlin and that one came back. There's something different about him. Maybe it's best we go back to Camelot and ask where they sent him?"

"Makes sense." The couple walked back over to Arthur, Sherlock and John.

"Where's Merlin?" Arthur asked.

"He's not here. Arthur, how quickly can we get back to Camelot?"

"Well, we can get there five minutes ago if you'd like," the Doctor interrupted before Arthur could answer.

"Crossing your own time stream Doctor? Not your smartest plan ever."

"Fine, I'll just go to whenever we are now. It'll be like teleporting. Everyone in the TARDIS."

The Doctor smiled as Prince Arthur's face looked around in awe. He really could surprise almost anyone. River stood by the console, flicking switches. The TARDIS dematerialised and, to Arthur's amazement, when the Doctor opened the door they were in his bedroom in Camelot.

* * *

Sherlock strode over towards the knights and Gwen, who couldn't believe their eyes. Even when the Doctor tried to explain all he got were blank looks. Sherlock wasn't really surprised, they weren't nearly as technologically advanced as 21st century Britain and he didn't really understand it either (not that he would admit it).

"Right. Our task is simple. We find my father, Lancelot and Merlin then rid Camelot of these creatures."

"Merlin's over there Arthur."

"No he's not. That's not Merlin. It's acting all wrong."

'Merlin' sighed. Sherlock looked on in interest as whatever it was transformed into something else. It was red, with suckers and-

"Venom sacks in the tongue," the Doctor said. "That's a Zygon."

Sherlock looked at it. It didn't seem fazed about being surrounded. It wasn't calling for help. Sherlock studied it, uncertain of its initial behaviour until he realised why. There was no one else.

"Doctor. It's the only one."

"What? Why?"

"It isn't calling for help. If there were more, it would call for help."

"Unless it didn't see you as a threat," the creature said. "You don't amount to much."

"Really?" River said. "You didn't pay much attention to the time travelling part then. May I introduce Sherlock Holmes and Doctor John Watson?"

"From the 21st Century. We know Jack Harkness is present in that timeline and has a vortex manipulator."

"Perhaps I should introduce myself. Professor River Song."

"You have a vortex manipulator."

"And the last man I hear you ask? My love, perhaps you should introduce yourself."

"Hello. I'm the Doctor."

"So am I." The creature morphed into a second Doctor.

"River. I think we should run."

They ran.


	30. Chapter 30

"Doctor. You are the real Doctor, aren't you?" John asked.

"Yes."

"That's what the Zygon would say as well John," Sherlock pointed out. "We need to establish he really is the Doctor."

"Right. Tell us something only the Doctor would know." John said.

"It has access to his memories John. It will know most things. They can act. There's one thing I can do." River grabbed him and kissed him.

"Did that help?" Arthur asked.

"Apparently Zygons are good kissers. According to the Doctor. I didn't ask. But that seemed like him I can't be certain though. We need to get back to the TARDIS. She'll know."

"Oi! Stop talking about me like I'm not here."

"We need to find Merlin," Arthur said, "and my father and Lancelot."

"Yes. We must all stop picking on the Doctor and look for Merlin and find out the Zygon's plan. That's our plan. I always have a plan." River looked at him.

"That's him. And you almost never have a plan. You just hope something happens and claim that was the whole idea."

"I do not. It's all deliberate."

"No it's not.

"No it's not."

"I don't mean to interrupt," Arthur said. "But can we look for everyone now."

"Come on then. Sherlock, where should we start?" The Doctor looked at him.

"Probably fairly near where we were. There wasn't long enough between Merlin leaving and the creature return disguised as Merlin. There may have been other things there to take him further away, but it should be clearer as to where he is."

"Right. To where ever we started!" He walked off.

"Doctor?"

"Yes River?"

"We came here in the TARDIS."

"Yes. So?"

"You have no idea where you're going, do you?"

"Nope. After you my lord." He gestured for Arthur to head forwards.

"Unless we use the TARDIS again?"

"That could work River. Yes. To the TARDIS!"

John laughed at the Doctor. He really seemed to have no idea what was going on. River must be important to him. Perhaps a close friend, maybe a sister or possibly-

"She's his wife. They have a complicated relationship, seeing as they're both time travellers it might be that they don't meet in the right order. She's got something to tell him too, but doesn't know how."

"What?"

"I think we should leave the Doctor to be the first to find that out, don't you John?"

"Fair enough. How did you know she was his wife?"

"Other than the fact she kissed him and has done before?"

"Right. Probably should have picked up on that."

"If she was a sister, she wouldn't have kissed him, if she was a close friend he would have been shocked, but he acted like she'd done it before. That suggests girlfriend or wife. Given their attitudes towards each other, I would say they consider each other husband and wife, even if they haven't actually married each other yet from one's point of view. She's used to using the word spoilers, he didn't seem surprised, like he was used to her saying it. That suggests they meet in different orders. Both are time travellers, but don't travel together. I wonder why."

"You don't know?"

"Not yet."

"Maybe we should ask her."

"Possibly. But we are not here to investigate Doctor Song, we are here to identify the Zygons."

"Bit harder than expected though."

"A little, yes." Sherlock and John followed the Doctor and River back to the TARDIS. Prince Arthur turned to his knights.

"You must stay here and look for the king and Lancelot."

"Arthur, we're coming with you."

"Gwaine, I think there's enough of us to find Merlin."

"And when you get back and fight these creatures?"

"Then I shall call you. But for now, please. Look for Lancelot and my father."

"Arthur, look after yourself," Gwen said. She ran towards him and John didn't know whether to be surprised or not when she and Arthur kissed. So the queen of legend had started life as a serving girl. That differed from the stories. But then, the legend had got Merlin wrong as well. "And bring Merlin back safe."

"I will Guinevere. Stay with your brother."

"Come on Gwen." Sir Elyan put his hand on her shoulder as Arthur stepped into the TARDIS. John and Sherlock followed. The Doctor was already at the console, pushing buttons. River was following him flicking switches.

"Are you touching things?"

"No sweetie. Of course not."

"She flies fine."

"She'd fly better if you took the brake off."

"I like that sound. It's a good sound." River tensed for a second. "Are you all right? You don't look well River, you're all pale."

"I'm fine. Let's just go and find Merlin."


	31. Chapter 31

**Author's Note: Once again, I thank all you reading, because you deserve as much thanks as I can give and then some. You are awesome**

* * *

Merlin was fed up. He'd managed to make his way back to the clearing, after using his magic to heal himself. At least they hadn't taken him too far from said clearing, but everyone had gone. They'd actually believed that thing was him and even the TARDIS had gone.

"I guess I should head back on my own then," he said to himself.

"Or you could come with us," Arthur said from behind him.

"Arthur! You came back. The TARDIS. It wasn't there just now."

"No, we've only just arrived Merlin."

"I didn't hear you."

"River! You turned the brakes off!" the Doctor complained.

"You didn't think that thing was me did you?" Merlin asked.

"Would we be here if we did? It was far too polite to be you. It called me sire and actually did its job," Arthur replied.

"I do my job."

"Sometimes."

"Should we not be getting back to Camelot?" John asked.

"Yes. Everyone into the TARDIS," the Doctor said. "River, put the brakes back on, we're teleporting again."

* * *

"Where could they be?" Gwaine asked.

"We haven't checked the dungeons," Elyan said.

"We did," Leon said.

"What about Gaius's chambers?" Percival said. "We haven't seen Gaius and we can assume they're somewhere in the castle."

"Worth a shot," Leon said.

* * *

Merlin loved the journey. Seconds to move from the forest to Camelot? This was brilliant. The whole idea of it. Shame it was over in seconds.

They stepped out into Arthur's bedroom. Defiantly amazing. This was brilliant.

"Where would the knights be Merlin?" Arthur asked.

"No idea."

"Perhaps we should go to the throne room and confront the Zygon first," Sherlock said.

"We don't know how many there are," John pointed out. "It's probably dangerous."

"Never underestimate my technological skills." The Doctor went back into the TARDIS and re-emerged a few minutes later with a strange contraption. "Haven't used this in years."

"What is it?" John asked.

"It's a machine that goes ding when there's stuff. It can also hard boil eggs, though I'm not sure why."

"What kind of stuff?" Merlin asked.

"All sorts. For example, shape shifting DNA."

"If you have a machine for that, why did you need John and me?"

"The thrill of the chase, the brilliance of being able to meet Sherlock Holmes and John Watson and sometimes they adapt so the machine doesn't detect them and I don't know what their plan is. You can't deny you aren't loving it though."

"Come on Doctor. Let's follow Prince Arthur to wherever he wants to go first," River said. "Sire?"

"Zygons. Maybe there won't be many."

"Well, the TARDIS hasn't said there's a huge ship, so there's probably only a few of them."

"Right. This way."

They all followed Arthur, the three pairs of friends who had been thrown together. Merlin and Arthur, John and Sherlock, the Doctor and River.


	32. Chapter 32

The throne room was huge, but there were only four people in there. The King, Lancelot, Merlin and the Doctor.

"So how do we know which is which?" John asked Sherlock.

"The real Doctor is only wearing one sock. He's thought about this possibility in advance."

"And Merlin?"

"The real Merlin can do magic."

"But he won't, not in front of Arthur."

"He's also much more likely to call Arthur a prat or clotpole or another insult out of the dictionary he seems to have in his head."

"What do you want?" the Doctor asked the four Zygons. "You could be anywhere, why here?"

"You are the Doctor. The Oncoming Storm, Bringer of Darkness, Destroyer of Worlds."

"Well. I'm the Doctor yes, but I prefer my other nicknames. Like Space Gandalf. You can call me Space Gandalf. The little green one from Star Wars."

"That was Yoda sweetie. Gandalf was Lord of the Rings."

"Oh. Still, Space Gandalf is a pretty cool name. That's how I explained things to Amy."

"Did she understand?"

"Not really, no. She calls me the Raggedy Man too. I have a lot of names. Let's just stick with the Doctor shall we? So Zygons, do you have names? No that's not right, why are you here?"

"We are in need of a new planet."

"But not this one."

"Why not Doctor? These humans are hardly using it."

"They don't have the things you're used to though. The level of technology is nill."

"Why should we not take it Doctor? There's nothing standing in our way."

"There is me. Earth is under my protection. Leave."

"I'd do what he says," River said, fiddling with something in her pocket. "He hates killing things, but he will stop you. I've seen him. Armies have turned and run at his words. Trust me. Listen now, while you still have the chance."

The Zygon looked at her. Arthur couldn't understand how it could make Lancelot's face seem evil, but it somehow pulled it off.

"Nine hundred years of experience under my belt."

"You will have to make us leave. You have killed our people before."

"Oh, can't we just let Zygons be Zygons?" River looked at him. "Sorry. Couldn't resist. Can't we just let bygones be bygones? Leave."

"To where Doctor?"

"Somewhere else. I can give you a lift if you want."

"You want Zygons in the TARDIS?" River asked. "Is that wise?"

"Better than the alternative." His eyes did not move from the creatures.

"We have our own ship Doctor. This planet has not developed yet so are willing to leave."

"See, they're nice sometimes."

"On one condition."

"What's that then?"

"We will not guarantee we will not return one day."

"Well. I guess that's fair. I'll be there though. Just remember that."

The four Zygons morphed into their usual forms and left.

"Well, that went well," John said. "Almost too well."

"You heard them. They're coming back with a better plan. The only reason they left was because you have almost no technology," River pointed out. "But for now, I think it's time we went back to London, don't you Doctor?"

"Yes. London. Well, Prince Arthur, it was an honour."

"Likewise Doctor. But aren't you staying to help look for Lancelot and my father?"

"I think the knights found them," the Doctor said, just as they burst through the door.

"Where did they go?" Leon asked.

"Home," Arthur said. "We talked some sense into them. These four were just off."

"Not even staying for the feast?" Lancelot asked.

"No, we really should get back," River said. "I have no doubt we'll see you again though."

"Bye," John waved.

"Goodbye," Sherlock said.

"Merlin," the Doctor said. "I think you should grow a beard."

"Doctor, I know I shouldn't ask," Arthur said. "But, will the world forget us?"

"No. King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table are world famous, as is Merlin, the wise friend of the king with the good judgement."

"They say that about Merlin? What do they say about me?"

"Probably that you were the biggest prat to ever become a king," Merlin said. Arthur hit him, but the Doctor could see it was only a light, playful punch. They were both laughing.

"Until next time," the Doctor said. "Come along Holmes, Watson. Baker Street?"

"221B please Doctor." Sherlock and John shared a grin, knowing that they now had a new adventure to share. "Will we see you again?"

"Oh, I expect so. Amy and Rory are on their honeymoon at the moment, so they've left me. I could just go straight there I supposed, but Amy said not to."

"Give them some space Doctor. They'll be back in your TARDIS before you know it," River said.

John opened the door, noticing that this time they were upstairs in his and Sherlock's kitchen and there was a lot more space.

"Goodbye Doctor. Until we meet again. River. It was an honour."

"And keep an eye on her Doctor. She might need your help soon enough."

"Sherlock? What do you mean?"

"You haven't told him?"

"Not yet."

"Told me what?"

"Sweetie, you might want to sit down."

"Why?"

"I have some news."

"Is it exciting news?"

"Very exciting."

"Oh good, I like exciting news. What is it?" She looked him in the eye, deadly serious. He was confused. Normally when people had exciting news they looked happy. "River?"

"I'm pregnant."

* * *

**Author's Note: Just because they're aliens, doesn't mean they're stupid. Four Zygons against that lot? Course they decided to leave. But maybe they'll come back. With more Zygons. And maybe some paintings... Well, I wouldn't know, they didn't tell me their plan.**

**Oh, and sorry about the bad pun, but I couldn't resist. It could be worse. Could be another science joke. Speaking of which, do you want to hear a joke about sodium? Na. **

**I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.**

**But science jokes are so bad. All the good ones argon. **

**I'll stop now. It's getting a little boron. **

**Right. Stop now. Sorry. But you loved them really. **

**Thanks for reading amazing people! **


	33. Chapter 33

**Author's Note: Happy Sunday people, have a second chapter today as a thank you gift for reading, following, reviewing and favouriting. Well, it's more of an epilogue than a chapter and no more science jokes or bad puns, I promise- for now...**

* * *

"What happened to the Zygons?" Lucy asked.

"I don't know, but Captain Jack was talking about meeting some Zygons last time I saw him. Speaking of which, do you remember that time we left him as babysitter for the night and when we came back we found that he'd been teaching you-"

"Doctor," River warned. "I thought we'd agreed not to mention that?"

"It was only a bit of reprogramming. And UNIT probably deserved it."

The old man smiled at her. He seemed familiar. Who was he? Uncle John voiced her thoughts.

"I know I aged a bit John, but did I really change that much?" Lucy saw realisation dawn on his face. She still didn't know him. "Fine. Maybe you'll recognise me like this." His wrinkles disappeared, his beard shrank and his hair turned black. The only bit which didn't change were his sparkling blue eyes. "Hello."

"Hello again Merlin."

.

END OF PART TWO

.

* * *

**Author's Note Part 2: Oh, I forgot to mention, Part 3 will follow shortly. Then, who knows? **


	34. Chapter 34

**Author's Note: Oh look, it finally happened. At least I only left you for a week. Could have been a month. I just wanted to finish part 3 before publishing it. I would have finished it before publishing part 1, but it didn't start to happen until later. Part 2 didn't start to happen till later. You know what they say. Stories have a life of their own. **

**So, anyway, this part takes place over several years for Lucy. Couple of episode rewrites, couple of original scenes. Stuff just happens. I'm not even entirely sure what happened half the time. Tis the Doctor and his madness.**

**And I think these chapters turned out a bit longer than the last few. Oh well. More to fit in, more for you to read and (I hope) to enjoy!**

**So here we set our scene. Two years later Lucy time. She is now sixteen and has been on quite a lot of adventures with the Doctor. A fair few of them with River too. **

**Writing credits for Dinosaurs on a Spaceship go to Chris Chibnall. Yes, there are some direct quotes. I've tried to avoid just writing out the whole episode, but some bits were either too important/too good to miss out. **

* * *

Dinosaurs on a Spaceship!

* * *

"Hello! You weren't busy, were you? Well, even if you were, it wasn't as interesting as this probably is. Didn't want you to miss it. Now, just a quick hop."

Lucy looked around at the people on the TARDIS. Nefertiti she knew, they'd just been to Egypt. Riddell she also knew and she also knew his great grandson, DI Greg Lestrade, though she hadn't mentioned this to him or to her dad. The Ponds she knew, obviously, they were her grandparents. But who on Earth was this man? He looked familiar. The Doctor seemed not to know either.

"Don't move!" He shouted as soon as he'd finished talking about spiders. "Did you really think I'm that stupid I wouldn't notice?"

"Sometimes," Lucy muttered.

"How did you get aboard? Transmat? Who sent you?"

"Doctor, that's my dad," Grandpa Rory interrupted.

"Well, frankly, that's outrageous." Lucy looked up at the new man with interest as the Doctor talked to Rory. He really should have checked when he materialised around them. Rory was trying to explain things to his dad, Brian.

"I thought we might need a new gang. Not really had a gang before. It's a new thing." Something was moving towards them.

"You have had a gang," Lucy said.

"All right, I've had a gang once. Fancy a new one."

"What is that?" Riddell asked. Referring to the loud noise, obviously.

"No idea."

"Not possible," Brian said.

"Yeah, you see a lot of the not possible travelling with him," Lucy said, with a sideways jerk of the head towards the Doctor. "Run?"

"Run," the Doctor agreed.

"Doctor," Amy started.

"I know. Dinosaurs! On a spaceship!"

"You are too excited about," Lucy said

"Oh come one Lucy, who wouldn't be excited. Look at them. Dinosaurs!"

"You are a giant child," Amy said.

"And you wouldn't want it any other way."

They hid while the dinosaurs ran past. The Doctor was arguing with Riddell about conserving the dinosaurs.

"Okay, so, how and whose ship?"

"Good question Rory. Well, there's so much to discover." Lucy looked around the room while he carried on talking.

"Sorry, sorry, are you saying dinosaurs are flying a spaceship?"

"Brian, please. That would be ridiculous. They're probably just passengers." There. Camera. Someone was watching them. She was about to tell someone, but something happened.

"We're outside. On a beach."

"Teleport. Oh, I hate teleports. Must have activated on my voice."

"Ah yes, well, thank you, Arthur C Clarke." Brian continued talking while Lucy listened. Uncle Sherlock had taught her a few tricks. Brian didn't travel much. He was far outside his comfort zone and Rory hadn't told him about the Doctor. He also had a trowel in his pocket, so he liked gardening and was a practical man. Good thing he had a trowel in his pocket too, if her dad wanted them to dig a hole. "What sort of man doesn't carry a trowel? Put it on your Christmas list."

"Dad, I'm thirty one, I don't have a Christmas list anymore." Thirty one, yeah right Grandpa Rory. Two thousand and thirty one more like.

"I do!" And there it goes, Dad proving that despite he's over a thousand years old, he's actually closer in age to three than a thousand. Wouldn't mind having a look at the list though. Probably topped with a fez. Then some fish fingers and custard. A new bow tie. Honestly. She was sixteen and didn't have a Christmas list. Then again, she'd never had one, she never knew what to put on it.

"There's a floor under this beach."

Lucy looked up at the sky while the Doctor started rambling. Short range teleport, obviously. There was something moving.

"Oh my lord. Are those pterodactyls?"

"Yes," Lucy said.

"On any other occasion, I'd be thrilled."

"Dad, shut up. Plan?"

"Move."

"Where?" Brian asked.

"Away from the pterodactyls."

"That's the plan?" Rory asked.

"Move away from the pterodactyls? That was the best you could do?"

"Excuse me young lady. I don't see you travelling through time and space for over a thousand years. I think I have enough knowledge to know we should move away from the pterodactyls."

"You could have at least specified that we should run. There's a cave over there. And before you ask Grandpa Rory, the teleport probably burnt out."

"So, once again, Doctor, we run. Why is it that wherever we go we end up running?" Rory asked as they sprinted to the cliff.

"Love the running." He skidded into the cave, practically dragging Lucy. She looked up at Rory and Brian.

"Grandpa Rory, are you all right?"

"I'm fine. Right, what do we do now? There's no way back out there."

"Through the cave. Come on," the Doctor said. "That suggests work in progress."

"We're trapped."

"Yes, thanks for spelling it out Brian."

"Doctor, whatever's down there is coming this way."

"Spelling it out is hereditary. Wonderful."

"That sound's getting nearer," Brian said.

"We're very cross with you."

"Look Dad, it's a pair of robots!"

"And it's even reached you. I swear River never spelt things out. Why do you have the spelling things out gene?"

"Who are you exactly?" Brian asked Lucy. "Rory, who is that? She called him Dad and you Grandpa."

"I'll explain later Dad." The robots led them away, grumbling.

"What's the escape plan?" Brian asked.

"Why would we want to escape?" the Doctor asked him.

"They have us hostage."

"They're taking us somewhere Dad. We might learn from it."

"Oh you see? He's so clever. I've missed you Rory." The three of them started talking to the robots. Lucy looked at them. An escape plan was always wise, Uncle John had said. You never know when you might need one. Even Uncle Sherlock always had a backup plan. Almost always. Something came towards them. The robots started arguing about whether or not to shoot it while the Doctor leant forwards to say hello.

"Roar yourself. Hello cutie. Good boy. Who's a lovely Tricy then? Yes you are. Yes you are. Lucy, come and say hello to Tricy."

"You named it?"

"Of course." He moved her hand up to the triceratops's nose, but it had other interests. "You don't have any vegetable matter in your trousers, do you Brian?"

"Only my balls."

"I'm sorry?"

"Golf balls. Grassy residue."

"Why are you carrying those?" Rory asked.

"I think it likes you," Lucy giggled as it licked Brian's face.

"Oh, bless," the Doctor said.

"Get it away from me."

"Throw one."

"You want to play fetch with a dinosaur?" Lucy asked.

"Why not?" Brian threw a golf ball while the Doctor continued talking. "If only your mother were here Lucy. She'd love this."

"It would be one great big family reunion," Lucy said.

"Right robots. Take us to your leader."

"Really?" Rory asked.

"Sorry. Too good to resist."

"But next time Dad, I want to say it."


	35. Chapter 35

**Author's Note: And because I love you all, have the second half of Dinosaurs on a Spaceship as well today. Thanks for reading!**

* * *

Still Dinosaurs on a Spaceship

* * *

The Doctor was talking to someone. Apparently, they thought he was an actual doctor.

"Should have brought Uncle John Dad."

"Now that would have been something."

"Maybe Uncle Sherlock too."

"Chaos."

"And Greg."

"Who's Greg?"

"Lestrade. The police officer they work with."

"Why would I take Greg?"

"Because he's the spit of Riddell. Great grandson."

"Stop talking," the old man said. "They chewed through part of the bone in my leg."

Lucy looked at it with interest. It was horrible. Uncle Sherlock would love it. The man gave the order for the robots to hurt Brian. She looked straight at him with hate. How could someone do that? The Doctor started being a doctor.

"They could have at least got Grandpa Rory in here. He's a nurse. He knows more about this than you."

"I trained to be a doctor."

"When?"

"Stop talking." The man started talking to the Doctor again, about how much he was worth. Until Rory came in with a ringing phone. Lucy couldn't hear what Grandma Amy was saying, but by the look on the Doctor's face, it wasn't good. She wandered out the room and to Brian before the explosion.

"He wants to see you," the Doctor said to the robots. They ran, but surely he had a plan? You've always got a plan Dad. Actually, you just make it up as you go along and pretend it was a plan, don't you. Lucy sighed.

"Doctor, no!" Rory said. Lucy watched, realising the triceratops was in front of them.

"Geronimo!"

"Your plan is to ride a dinosaur?" Lucy's eyes sparkled with excitement. "That is the best plan ever! Geronimo!"

"I thought you were trying maturity?"

"Then you decided to ride a dinosaur. Sod maturity."

"That's my girl. Come on!" Rory and Brian climbed up.

"How do you start a triceratops?" Lucy asked.

"Tricy, fetch." Brian threw another golf ball.

"Oh that is brilliant Great Grandpa Brian."

"Who are you?"

"Go Tricy!"

"Dad, I can explain. Badly. I was going to do it with more time, but basically, Amy was pregnant, then she had a baby, who was Time Lord, well sort of a Time Lord, I'm not entirely sure, anyway we knew her as Mels, our friend from Leadworth, but we also knew her in her next regeneration as River Song, who is the Doctor's wife."

"So I have a granddaughter?"

"Yes."

"So how does she fall into this?"

"Lucy is the Doctor's daughter. With River Song. Which makes her my granddaughter and your great granddaughter."

"Hello!"

"So, your son in law is older than you?"

"Sort of, but not really, because I spent two thousand years as a plastic Roman and even though the universe was rebooted so I wasn't a plastic Roman anymore, I still have all the memories."

"So, you're older than me?"

"Sort of. Time travel. It's complicated."

"I'm riding a dinosaur. On a spaceship. With my son, who is over two thousand years old and my great granddaughter who isn't even human."

"Pretty much. Welcome to the family Brian."

"You know, considering you don't do families, yours is getting pretty big Dad."

"Different version. He was straight out the Time War, didn't want to lose people again."

"I only came around to fix your light."

"Dad."

"Yes Lucy?"

"Where are the brakes?"

They skidded to a halt and Tricy picked the golf ball up and gave it back to Brian. A screen turned on and the Doctor went to talk to someone while Lucy stayed petting Tricy.

"If we can't find you a new home, do you fancy coming and living with us? The TARDIS is big enough. Not sure about the door, but the inside is fine. We can redecorate the squash court. It's not like anyone ever plays squash in it."

"Doesn't the ship have any defence systems installed?"

"Good thinking Rory."

"Dad, did you just kiss Grandpa? Full on?"

"Yes Lucy I did."

"Your wife's dad?"

"Yes."

"Your father in law?"

"Yes. Oh. I regret that a little now. Not much though. Both Ponds."

"Grandma Amy's going to kill you. Mum probably will too."

"Computer, show us weapons and defence systems."

_No Systems Available. _

"Oh well, that was a waste of time. Getting my hopes up like that."

"What ship doesn't have weapons?"

"They're an ancient species Rory. Still full of hope."

"Hence they decided to bring dinosaurs to a new planet so they didn't go extinct."

The old man, Solomon appeared. The Doctor confronted him. Lucy engaged herself in a staring completion with one of the robots, who squirmed uncomfortably. The man wanted Nefertiti. She didn't take her eyes off the robot. Until she heard a sound from behind her.

"Tricy!" He had shot the dinosaur. He had actually shot the dinosaur, just to manipulate the Doctor. There were so many words Lucy wanted to shout at him, but her dad, grandfather and great grandfather were all in the same room. Probably best not to use them. She stroked Tricy while her dad got cross with Solomon. Then with Nefertiti.

"No, Neffy, Neffy."

"No! Take her and I will shoot you." Oh Gregory Lestrade, you never mentioned the mysterious woman he married was actually Queen Nefertiti of Egypt. All these years. I wonder if Uncle Sherlock knows? Probably not. Can't wait to tell him. Solomon disappeared, along with the robots and Neffy.

"Hostile targeting in progress." The computer repeated.

"Bingo."

"What is it Doctor?" Rory asked.

"Oh." Lucy smiled. "That's clever."

With a flash they were at the control deck. Riddell had been sent to look out for dinosaurs.

"No, don't be like that," the Doctor said, looking at the controls. "Really unhelpful."

"What's the matter?" Amy asked.

"Parallel pilot compartments, both configured. Needs two operators of the same gene-chain. That's why Solomon couldn't operate it and neither can we." Lucy looked at him. Brian raised his hand. "What?"

"We can. Me and Rory. We must have the same gene-thingy you said."

"Brian Pond, you are delicious."

"I'm not a Pond."

"Course you are." He proceed to explain things to Brian.

"Why can't I fly the ship Grandma Amy? I could fly it with all of you."

"Well, he's probably got a plan where he needs to be somewhere and the resemblance between grandparents and granddaughter probably isn't as strong as the one between father and son. That and you're sixteen years old."

"I've flown the TARDIS."

"Were you supposed to be flying the TARDIS?"

"No."

"Well then." Amy turned back to the Doctor. Lucy established there wasn't much she could do, so she sat by the window.

Amy went to help Riddell and the Doctor teleported somewhere. Why couldn't she help?"

"We're flying a spaceship Rory!"

"I know."

"Can I have a go Grandpa Rory? Please?"

"Not yet. Wait till there's no missiles."

"And then can I fly it?"

"Yes."

"Fantastic!"

Lucy was content to just watch after that.

* * *

"So, dinosaur drop off time."

"Actually, we think home for us," Rory said.

"Oh fine. Of course."

"Not for ever, just a couple of months," Amy reassured him.

"Right. Yes. I'm pretty busy anyway. I mean, I've got to drop everyone back."

"And Grandpa Rory promised I could fly the spaceship."

"What?"

"He said, once you were back, I could fly the spaceship."

"Rory!"

"You need to drop the dinosaurs off, you and Lucy can fly the ship."

"Fine. We'll drop you home first."

"About that," Brian said. "Can I ask a favour? There's something I want to see."


	36. Chapter 36

**Author's Note: Anyone else ever wonder how the Doctor dropped the dinosaurs off? I doubt he'd let them all loose in the TARDIS. Does the door grow as well to let things in? Hmm. I wonder. Maybe Rory and Brian stayed to drop them off. Any other suggestions? As they never actually explained it. **

**Oh well. Plot holes. We all love them really. So easy to play on and make things up about. For example...**

* * *

Oh this was brilliant!

"Dad, what's wrong?"

"I think I'm going to be sick. I am never trusting you to fly anything again, you know that?"

"We haven't crashed into anything."

"We're in space! There is nothing to crash into!"

"Exactly."

"Just stop Lucy. Please stop. You aren't even old enough to drive a car, why did I let you drive a spaceship?"

"Because Grandpa Rory said he wouldn't tell Mum you kissed him and you've kissed Grandma Amy?"

"Do not tell her. There look, a planet. Land us Lucy!"

"How?"

"Like this." He landed the ship and looked around. "This seems like a good place."

"There's nothing here."

"Exactly. Excuse me? Does anyone live here?" Nothing appeared. "Nope. Nothing lives here."

"Including plants. We are on a rock."

"There's plants in the spaceship. Come on. Time to leave."

"You just threw something."

"No I didn't."

"Yes you did. What was that?"

"It kick starts life. Come on. Into the TARDIS. The dinosaurs will be fine."

"All right then Dad."

"So where next?"

"I might go and visit Mum."

"Oh good plan. I don't know where I'm up to though, it might be easier if just you go."

"Dad?"

"I'm nearly out of time Lucy. I have a bad feeling. You go and visit. Wish her a happy birthday. Bring cake."

"All right. See you later Dad."

"She gave you a vortex manipulator, didn't she?"

"Yes."

"Oh River. Use that then. Off you go. Have a nice time." Lucy vanished. "Don't tell her about my worrying."


	37. Chapter 37

"Hi Mum!"

"Lucy! Oh, look how big you've got."

"I haven't grown that much."

"Well, we don't meet right, do we? Last time I saw you, you were six."

"Last time I saw you, it was my sixteenth birthday."

"There, you see. Don't tell me what I got you. I can't know yet."

"All right then. How've you been? Where are you up to?"

"Crash of the Byzantium."

"Oh."

"You?"

"Dinosaurs on a Spaceship."

"Right. I wasn't there, but the Doctor told me about it. Apparently, I am never to let you drive a spaceship."

"We didn't crash."

"There's nothing to crash into in space."

"That's what he said."

"I don't want you to panic Lucy. I can't tell you what's coming, you know that."

"Yes. Spoilers."

"But something will happen soon and you need to be there for your Dad when it does."

"All right." Lucy mused over her words. "I think something's going to happen to you too, soon. That's why Dad didn't come. I don't know what, he wouldn't tell me."

"Every time I look at him, he knows me less and less. One day, he won't know me at all."

"You've got a good few yet Mum and there's no rules about going to see a future version after that."

"Oh Lucy. I know I have several years with you to come."

"You've seen future versions of me?"

"Spoilers."

"Well, you started it."

"Just like your father. Brilliant, yet a child at heart."

"I am a child."

"You have an excuse then, unlike him. You are just like him though. Determined to help every living, breathing creature in existence."

"Yes. Oh, happy birthday. Dad gave me this to give to you." She handed her the cake.

"Well, I think there's enough for the two of us. Come on then. What flavour?"

"He didn't say."

"As long as it isn't the same as last time."

"What was last time?"

"Banana, custard, fish fingers, chocolate and lemon."

"I think he might be insane."

"Indeed. Oh good, plain with jam. Much better."

They sat and ate cake, talking for a good few hours before Lucy had to leave.

"Make sure you keep safe. Tell your Dad to keep safe too. Something big is coming. Don't read ahead."

"I'll tell him." Lucy vanished and appeared on the TARDIS.

"And where have you been?"


	38. Chapter 38

**Author's Note: This may have spoilers (well, all episode rewrites do if you haven't seen the episode, but anyway) so I hope you've all seen the new series of Sherlock. And brilliant it was! So worth the wait. And wait again we shall, for it shall not be as long as the wait the Whovians had between May 1996 and March 2005 (that's almost nine years by the way) and the one before that December 1989 to May 1996 (pretty much seven years, well six and a half). Actually- please don't get ideas Steven Moffat! It's bad enough you're making us wait over half a year for the Doctor to return!**

**This is after a Town Called Mercy, Lucy was with River when that happened.**

**Anyway, writing credits for The Sign of Three go to Steve Thompson, Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat.**

* * *

The Sign of Three

* * *

"To see Mum, you know that."

"You left over a month ago."

"Oh."

"Ironic, isn't it? Two Time Lords who can't keep track of time."

"Hi Grandpa Rory."

"Hello Lucy. So Doctor, you were talking about visiting John and Sherlock?"

"Yes. After that adventure with cowboys, I think we need a nice relaxing day. And John's is getting married today. He sent invitations."

"I know. He sent yours here."

"A wedding?" Lucy looked at him. "But that means smart clothes."

"Yes Lucy it does. Oh, I wish your mother could be here."

"Well, I'm defiantly coming," a voice said. Lucy turned around to see Merlin. "I wish Arthur was here."

"I'm sure we all do Merlin," Rory said. "At the same time, you know the stories, don't you?"

"Better than anyone."

"Is this real life?" Lucy said. "I remember it being a lot less boring."

"Well, you didn't know about travelling then, did you Lucy?" Rory said. "I remember it being less boring too."

"How long till Uncle John gets married Dad?"

"A few hours. The TARDIS will have picked you out something."

"I'll just go and find it then." Lucy went to her room and looked on the bed. "Oh, thank you. It's perfect." The TARDIS hummed. "Leggings and a thing. What is it? A flouncy shirty blousy thing?" She looked around. "Right Mum. Where are you?"

"How did you know?"

"How could I not? The TARDIS doesn't pick clothes like this out. She'll make a wardrobe, yes, but clothes don't just appear on beds."

"Oh, you do take after Uncle Sherlock, don't you? Well, seeing as you had to get back, I just popped back to a bit before, picked these up and ran in just before you arrived."

"Does Dad know?"

"Course he does. And Grandpa Rory knows as well, the TARDIS is in his lounge. Saw Merlin too."

"Well, it's good to see you. Even though I only saw you a few minutes ago."

"Come on. Get dressed. I need to as well. Picked up the dress your Dad got me on one of our first dates."

River left and Lucy put the clothes on. She had some smart shoes laid out for her.

"Seriously? You're wearing that? That was fashionable in what, 1860?" Lucy asked the Doctor

"It's a tailcoat and you can't tell me off for wearing the top hat River, it goes with the outfit."

"At least Grandpa Rory has a normal suit."

"With a tie and everything," Rory said. "You've still found a way to wear a bow tie."

"Bow ties are cool. Lucy's still found a way to wear trousers."

"They're leggings. Look, no pockets."

"The definition of trousers is not whether something has pockets or not," River said.

"It is in our family," Rory said. "My dad has a trowel, I have nursing supplies, what about you Lucy?"

"A compass, string, needle and thread and some marbles. Just little bits and bobs."

"See? It's all about the pockets in the Williams family. Lucy inherited some genes from her granddad. Even though she isn't a Williams. She's a Song."

"We need to go," Merlin said. "I'm so glad they invented suits. The ceremonial uniforms at Camelot were awful."

"Is Amy outside?" River asked.

"She's already there, she went to help John set up."

"Right," the Doctor said. "Let's make sure we get to the church on time. I love weddings."

"We've seen your dancing Doctor. It was awful."

"Oh, thanks Rory."

"Come on," Merlin said. "Time to leave."

"Oh Dad," Lucy said as they all walked towards the church. "Don't mention dinosaurs to Greg, he doesn't know you're an alien time traveller, nor that you're the reason his great grandfather married Queen Nefertiti. I don't think he knows his great grandmother is the Nefertiti either."

"Right. No mentioning Riddell to Greg. No jumping out of cakes. No alien technology. No behaving in anyway other than a normal human."

"Right. For one night, we are humans."

"And if they ask my name?"

"You've used John Smith before."

"Then how do we explain your name being Lucy Jane Song?"

"John Song?"

"All right. River, I'm called Doctor John Song if anyone asks."

"But, they might not ask. You've met John, Sherlock, Mary and Mrs Hudson before, and they all know Lucy."

"Yes I have. Let's just avoid danger."

* * *

**Author's Note: Right, that didn't have much in it, that was just them getting ready. Nothing actually from the Sign of Three. So, onwards to the next chapter friends! The game's afoot!**


	39. Chapter 39

The Sign of Three contiuned

* * *

So, the service wasn't that bad. Bit long for Lucy's taste. Uncle Sherlock seemed distant, but they were both happy to see Lucy again, even if she was a bit older than they'd expected. Merlin spent a lot of it in tears, maybe because he was remembering Arthur's wedding to Gwen and Lucy knew about Freya. Hundreds of years without friends. Maybe he'd like to come travelling with them, but he seemed content to stay at home and protect Albion, waiting for Arthur to rise again.

"I wish our wedding had been more like this."

"Really River? Ours was only a little thing, we both felt like we were married anyway."

"We had a five minute wrap string around the hand and then a snog."

"That sort sounds brilliant," Lucy said. "This is so long."

"Just like your father. Can't sit still for more than ten minutes."

"You three heading to the reception now?" Merlin said.

"Yes," River replied. "Come on then."

* * *

"You actually came," John said. He was greeting everyone outside with Mary and Sherlock.

"Couldn't miss your wedding Uncle John."

"It's good to see you Lucy. You've grown. How old are you now?"

"Sixteen."

"Sixteen. Well I never. River, you look as beautiful as ever."

"And you look as handsome John."

"Amy, Rory, good to see you. And Merlin, what a lovely surprise. Sorry you had to take the long way old friend."

"Well, Rory's taken the long way in the past, it's quite fun really. Not all of it, but some."

"It's good to see you John," Amy said. "We're glad everything's turned out for the best." Amy and Rory turned to talk to Mary.

"Doctor. Good to see you as well."

"John, Mary. Lovely wedding. Will there be dancing? I only came for the dancing."

"Don't worry John, he said the same thing at ours after Amy brought him back from the other side of the crack in the universe."

"Well, there's a table inside waiting for you. Wilf, Martha, Mickey, Michael, Craig, Sophie, Alfie, Luke, Clyde and Rani are all inside."

"Who's Michael?" River asked.

"Mickey and Martha's baby."

"I see. Well, John, Mary, congratulations." Lucy followed her parents inside. "Sherlock." River nodded at him.

"Doctor Song."

Lucy smiled at him and he winked at her. She went to sit down, but ran into other people on the way.

"Hello Mrs Hudson."

"Lucy! It's good to see you again. Hello Doctor. Did you get to see Robin Hood?"

"Yes we did, thank you Martha."

"That's Martha?" River asked.

"Different Martha," the Doctor answered.

"Right."

"So, how've you been?"

"Well. Have you met Detective Inspector Lestrade?"

"Riddell!"

"Dad, I told you not to mention that!"

"Sorry Lucy, but when you said he looked like Riddell, you forgot to mention he was the spit of Riddell."

"I told you that on the spaceship, remember?"

"But it's uncanny. It's like they're the same person."

"Who are you?"

"Oh, that brings back memories that voice."

"Dad, it was three days ago."

"For you maybe. It's been a couple of months for me."

"Lucy, this is your father? He looks familiar."

"Hello, I'm the Doctor."

"You're the Doctor? My great grandfather told me about you. I guess I should say thanks. Without you, I wouldn't exist."

"Wouldn't you?"

"You really think I didn't know my great grandmother was Queen Nefertiti of Egypt? Of course they told me. I only met them a few times when I was little, but I remember them well."

"So do I."

"Once again Dad, it hasn't even been a year yet."

"You were there as well Lucy? The tales of dinosaurs were true then."

"Yes."

"How exciting."

"Doctor?"

"Wilf! Excuse me a minute, will you Martha, Detective Inspector?"

"Please, call me Greg."

"Greg. It was an honour. Wilf!"

Lucy watched her dad run off to see Wilf.

"Nice to see you Greg."

"You too Lucy."

"Dad! Wait!"

Lucy ran after him.

* * *

**Author's Note: Ah, the Doctor only came for the dancing again. I'd imagine Lucy as acting a lot like the Doctor. Incapable of sitting down and getting more fidgety the more they travel. Sitting through a wedding? I know full well I have trouble doing that. I've been to one. I literally could not sit still and neither could my siblings nor my cousins. As least we had our own table for the food bit and we didn't have to dance (because unlike the Doctor, I do not dance. Except once. Long story.)**

**And Greg did know! Course he knew. How could he not? It's his family and I bet Riddell was desperate to tell the stories of the dinosaurs. How could he not be? **


	40. Chapter 40

Yet more The Sign of Three (last one I promise. But more threes to come)

* * *

Uncle John had put her between Grandpa Rory and her Dad at dinner. They'd had a bit of an upset when the Doctor had asked where Sarah Jane was and he'd been told she'd passed away. He'd had a talk with Luke about her and they'd ended up with happy memories. They had to be happy at John's wedding, he had said.

"Pray silence for the best man," a voice said.

"This'll be fun," the Doctor smiled as Sherlock stood up.

"Ladies and gentlemen, family and friends and- erm- others."

"Bet I'm an other."

"Shut up Dad. I don't think he means other species."

"That would include you though, wouldn't it Lucy?" Merlin pointed out. "I think he just doesn't know what to say. All these other people are putting him off."

Sherlock started reading the telegrams after a moment's pause.

"Ha, they got him to say big squishy cuddles. That's way better than getting a Weeping Angel to say comfy chairs. I must congratulate these people. Where are they?"

"They aren't here Doctor," Rory said. "That's why they've sent the telegram to be read."

"Oh that's a shame. Ha, now he said poppet."

"And oodles of love and heaps of good wishes."

"Will you two stop it?"

"Sorry River."

"Sorry Mum." Lucy and the Doctor looked at each other and laughed.

"Lucy, I thought you were trying to be mature?"

"I tried. Then Dad started being like this and I couldn't help it."

"Like father, like son," Merlin said. "Only in this case, like father, like daughter."

"Will you two be quiet so Sherlock can speak?"

"Yes Mum."

"Yes River."

"John Watson," Lucy listened as Sherlock started. "My friend John Watson. John. When John first broached the subject of being best man, I was confused…"

Lucy zoned out. Much as she loved Uncle Sherlock she really wanted to be up and doing something. She wasn't the only one. The Doctor was still itching to put his hat back on. She hadn't been given a hat, just a flower to put in her hair. Her Mum clearly knew if she was given a hat it would be permanently glued to her head.

Now he was basically insulting himself.

"I am a ridiculous man." Yep, know that one Uncle Sherlock. "Redeemed only by the warmth and constancy of your friendship. But, as I am apparently your best friend, I cannot congratulate you on your choice of companion. Actually, now I can. Mary, when I say you deserve this man, it is the highest compliment of which I am capable." Lucy looked at everyone else as Sherlock made his speech. They all started crying.

"Dad."

"Yes Lucy?"

"Is that what all weddings are like? All soppy and yucky?"

"It's Sherlock. They'll be more about some cases in a minute."

"Oh good, because that was-" Lucy looked at her mother. "That was lovely. I'll stop talking now Mum."

Uncle Sherlock seemed confused as to why everyone was in tears. He carried on talking about "some funny stories about John". Lucy couldn't wait for this to be over. He was talking about cases now. The Elephant in the room, the Bloody Guardsman, the Mayfly Man. Lucy was bored. If she never had to attend another wedding it would be too soon.

Uncle Sherlock dropped his glass. Everyone was standing up. They sat down again.

"For now, part two." Lucy groaned. She didn't even have any proper food, it had all been posh stuff and there was nothing in her pockets because she didn't have pockets. He was walking around looking at everyone, clearly deducing them. Something was happening. This was getting much more exciting. She looked at them. Uncle Sherlock had been talking about the Mayfly Man. He thought something was going to happen to do with that.

"Geoff, the gents." Lucy snorted. He must have done it deliberately, he knew most people's names, but he never could get Lestrade's right. Greg left. Something was defiantly wrong. And then she heard it. "Vatican Cameos." The words Sherlock had taught her to say if she ever know there was danger.

"What's he doing?" Merlin muttered. "He hasn't glanced over here once, he's looking at everyone else in detail."

"Something's wrong," Lucy said. "Something to do with the Mayfly Man."

"So what's he doing?"

"He's trying to work out who it is. That's why he hasn't looked over here, he's ruled us out. It couldn't be Dad, there's no way he could be that romantic. Wasn't you, the trick was too easy to spot, you would just be able to use magic. Wasn't Grandpa Rory, he couldn't do something like that, he loves Grandma Amy too much. Couldn't be Mickey, same as Grandpa Rory, but with Martha. Couldn't be Wilf. The man they described was young. Sorry Wilf."

"I don't mind being written off."

"Wasn't Luke or Clyde either, they're too young. And none of you have the incentive to do all that to get here, he knew you were all invited."

"You could have started with that."

"Full reasoning. Remember, I grew up with Sherlock Holmes."

"Who exactly would you pick?" He was talking about who was going to get murdered now.

"I think you're a popular choice at the moment dear," Mrs Hudson said.

"If someone could move Mrs Hudson's glass just slightly out of reach, that would be lovely. More importantly, who could you only kill at a wedding?"

Someone who doesn't socialise much, maybe who people only see a couple of times. She looked at her dad and Merlin, both of which seemed to fit in that category. Sherlock seemed to understand her logic and shook his head. People didn't know about Merlin and if anyone did know about the Doctor, they would also probably know he would regenerate. Lucy's gaze shifted to the man Uncle John knew from his army days.

"The invisible man could do it," the boy, Archie, said as the conversation shifted to how you would kill someone.

The Mayfly Man. Of course. He was the same man as the one that tried to kill the guard, Bainbridge.

"The bride and groom!" Finally it was over, but Uncle Sherlock, Uncle John and Mary had all left.

* * *

Sherlock was playing the violin while John and Mary danced. He finished and said something, promising them that he would always be there for them. A song came on and after a brief conversation with the Watsons, Sherlock left.

Lucy ran after him.

"It was the photographer, wasn't it Uncle Sherlock?"

"Yes Lucy."

"See. I remembered everything you taught me."

"Yes you did."

"Which means Mary's pregnant."

"Good girl. You know John asked me what practise he'd had at being a parent?"

"What did you say?"

"I counted myself as practise. Then looked at you. He seemed to click, I think he was just panicking."

"Why are you leaving?"

"People. Lots of people."

"They're all dancing. You love dancing."

"There's no one to dance with."

"Well, Merlin hasn't got a partner."

"What about Luke Smith?"

"He has a sister."

"Well, she can dance with Merlin while you go and dance with Luke."

"Are you trying to set me up?"

"Maybe."

"Uncle Sherlock!"

"What about Wilf, who's he dancing with?"

"Alfie. He can't dance much he said."

"And River's dancing with the Doctor?"

"She was. She might not be anymore, he started doing the Drunk Giraffe."

"That's his stupid one with his hands above his head, isn't it?"

"Yes. He's teaching Archie."

"Maybe I will come back then. Save that poor boy."

"You could ask Molly for a dance."

"She has Tom."

"But she still likes you."

"Are you trying to set me up Lucy?"

"Maybe."

"Come on then Lucy. We can't leave Merlin without a partner, can we?"

"Uncle Jack should have come. He would have loved it."

"Where did Jackie get to? She seems to have vanished off the face of the Earth."

"Oh, Dad took her to the parallel universe so she could be with Rose."

"Thought he might have."

"Come on then Uncle Sherlock." She grabbed his hand and practically dragged him inside. He smiled and followed her.

* * *

**Author's Note: Oh, the bit when Sherlock left early, mirroring Mrs Hudson's story about her best friend, like it was the end of an era. If that had been what the series had been left on I think I would have actually cried. At least we knew there was more coming, it wasn't over forever.**

**Anyway, Lucy clearly hated him walking of as much as we all did, so she brought him back to save Archie from dancing lessons from the Doctor. And she's trying to set him up with Molly. Aww. (Yeah, I'm not writing it thanks.) But he started it. Trying to set her up with Luke. (Which may or may not happen, depending on how much they misbehave.)**

**Happy Valantine's Day readers! Thank you for reading, following, reviewing and favouriting! Oh, hang on. A wedding? Published on Valentine's Day? Don't you just love coincidences some times? (And it really was pure luck, not planned at all).**

**Thank you all!**


	41. Chapter 41

**Author's Note: Ha, more threes because we love threes. Three's a good number. It's a prime number. It's also the sum of it's two preceding numbers. Oh we love threes. (Yes, that includes you Jon Pertwee, you are Doctor number Three)**

**Writing credits for the Power of Three go to Chris Chinball.**

**Set a few weeks after John and Mary's wedding. Let's say they got married late June, the cubes arrive mid to late July. **

**Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

The Power of Three

* * *

A few weeks after Uncle John's wedding, the cubes had first appeared.

"What are they?" Lucy asked.

"All absolutely identical. Not a molecules difference between them."

"I don't like them," Lucy said.

"What if they're bombs?" Brian started listing ideas while Lucy picked one up. It wasn't heavy. Maybe it was empty.

"There couldn't be life forms in every cube, could there?" Rory asked.

"I don't know and I really don't like not knowing."

"You don't either? You and Uncle Sherlock should start a club. The 'I don't like not knowing' club."

"Very funny Lucy."

"Maybe we should ask Uncle Sherlock."

"He's not an expert in aliens, that's my job. It's a good trio actually. Merlin does the magic, Sherlock the humans, me the aliens. Oh exciting. It's like we're a little team."

"Cubes Dad?"

"Right. Cubes." He moved the TARDIS and they appeared in the Pond's kitchen. "Right. I need to use your kitchen as a lab. Cook up some cubes. See what happens."

"Oh, you really should start a club with Uncle Sherlock, that's what he does too."

"Why don't you use Sherlock's kitchen?" Rory asked. The Doctor looked at him. "Right. You can use the kitchen as long as I come back and it's still in one piece. I'm due at work."

"What? You've got a job?"

"Of course I've got a job. What do you think we do when we're not with you?"

"I imagined mostly kissing." Lucy made a face.

"I write travel articles for magazines and Rory heals the sick," Amy said.

"My shift starts in an hour. You don't know where my scrubs are?"

"In the lounge, where you left them."

The Doctor seemed fascinated by the concept of Amy and Rory actually having a job. Lucy had just assumed they did have jobs. It was normal. Maybe because she'd grown up on Earth with two people with jobs. Even Merlin must have had a job, but Lucy had never asked. Question for next time.

There were some bangs and Lucy watched as soldiers came in.

"There are soldiers all over my house and I'm in my pants."

"My whole life I've dreamed of saying that and I miss out by being someone else." Lucy laughed at her grandparents. Some people got pretty good ones. She got amazing ones she'd known for years, before she knew they were grandparents. Her father's best friends. She was pretty sure she had the best grandparents in the world.

"All these muscles and they don't know how to knock." Lucy looked at the new woman with interest. She was a scientist at heart, that much was clear from her words. She knew the Doctor, maybe from stories. Possibly even a future version, but it seemed more that she'd heard stories and had waited her whole life to meet him.

"We observe them." Once again, she'd been thinking more than listening, but really? He wanted them to sit and watch them? That sounded exactly like what Uncle Sherlock would do. She may have his deductive skills, but she couldn't sit still that long. That was torture.

* * *

"Four days. Nothing. Nothing! Not a single change in any cube anywhere in the world. Four days and I am still sat in your lounge!"

"You were the one who wanted to observe them," Amy said.

"Yes, well, I thought they'd do something, didn't I? Not just sit there while everyone eats endless cereal!"

"You said we had to be patient," Rory said.

"The cereal's not endless. That would be awesome though."

"Yes, you. You, not me! I hate being patient. Patience is for wimps. I can't live like this. Don't make me. I need to be busy!"

"Fine! Be busy! We'll watch the cubes." The Doctor ran off.

"I'm going to be busy too," Lucy said. "Somewhere. I might build something. Something exciting. Be back later." Lucy took off out the house. Maybe Uncle Sherlock had a case. Uncle John wasn't there, she knew that. Oh, maybe Merlin was? Sherlock had been talking about Merlin staying with him. Not in Uncle John's room or her room, the basement flat. She caught the tube to the city centre. Grandpa Rory and Grandma Amy wouldn't mind. They'd know where she'd gone and anyway, Grandpa Rory had given her a mobile phone. Just a cheap one, but the Doctor had sonicked it so it had universal roaming- literally, anywhere in the universe. She'd been told there was now no excuse for her to get lost or turn up late. Or to lose touch with her family.

She knocked on the door of 221B and Uncle Sherlock answered. He looked awful.

"Who are you?"

"It's me Uncle Sherlock. Lucy."

"Lucy. Lucy!" He grabbed her and pulled her in. "Cubes. What do you know?"

"Nothing yet. Are you all right? You look terrible."

"Fine. Are they alien?"

"Probably. Have you actually slept?"

"No. Your father hasn't any ideas?"

"No. He said to just watch them. You know what Uncle John would say if he found out you haven't slept. Have you eaten?"

"No. I need to find the Doctor."

"He's with Grandpa Rory and Grandma Amy. They'll make you eat something. Come on Uncle Sherlock."

"Hello Lucy."

"Hi Merlin. You did take the basement flat then?"

"Yes. It's nice. I miss my home in Camelot, but that's been gone for a long time, Ealdor even longer."

"What about Arthur? Don't you need to keep an eye on him?"

"If he wakes up, I'll know. He hasn't yet and there's been some pretty bad stuff. I don't want to know what will cause him to wake up."

"It'll be the same thing that makes Mrs Hudson leave London," Sherlock said. "The fall of England, possibly imminent destruction of the world when even the Doctor can't help."

"Much as I miss Arthur, I hope that doesn't come for a long time."

"Come on Uncle Sherlock, Merlin," Lucy said. "Grandpa Rory and Grandma Amy will love to see you." She ran down the pavement and Merlin followed her. Sherlock yawned, then left a note for Mrs Hudson explaining where they'd gone and that under no circumstances was she allowed to touch the cubes.

* * *

"He left? Without me?"

"Oh Lucy," Rory had his arms around her. "I'm sorry. He was just too jumpy, he couldn't sit still. You can use the vortex manipulator River gave you to find him though, can't you?"

"No. I left it on the TARDIS so I wouldn't be tempted to use it to go on a quick visit somewhere."

"Oh Lucy. Never mind. He'll be back. Tell you what, you can stay here. He'll only be a few weeks, tops."

* * *

**Author's Note: Doctor you dollop head. Have you really been alone that long? So long you can't wait for anyone?**


	42. Chapter 42

The Power of Three... continued.

* * *

"Merry Christmas!"

"Lucy, it's five in the morning."

"But it's Christmas and I'm here with you and Grandma Amy. First time ever."

"Is it? Well, in that case, we'd best do something special." Rory got up and went over to the tree. "Before I go to work."

"Do you have to go?"

"Lucy, we celebrated Christmas yesterday with everyone before they spend today with their families. I do believe young Luke Smith has taken a shine to you. So good of Martha and Mickey to take them under their wing after Sarah Jane passed on."

"Are you all right Grandpa Rory?"

"I'm fine. You have an exciting day planned, don't you? You, Amy and Merlin."

"Not really."

"You're going to Sherlock's parents aren't you?"

"No. We decided not to. Uncle Sherlock's still working on his case that he won't tell me about and we didn't want to go without you."

"Well, that's nice. I'm only on shift till three, so we've got the afternoon." There was a groan on the stairs and Lucy listened to the creaks.

"Why are you two up already?"

"Merry Christmas Grandma Amy!"

"Merry Christmas Lucy. Merry Christmas Rory." She kissed him.

"Eurgh, do you have to do that here?"

"Be quiet Lucy. You could have gone with Sherlock and John."

"When will Merlin get here?"

"At a more reasonable time of day. Now, do you want this or not?"

"Who's it from?"

"Us." Amy handed her the parcel. "It's nothing special, but it looked just like-"

"Mum and Dad's diaries." Lucy jumped up and hugged her grandparents. "Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She picked up a parcel of her own. "Now you two open this one."

Amy pulled off the paper while Rory rested his head on her shoulder.

"Oh wow."

"It doesn't work very well, it's only made out of Earth stuff and it really doesn't work very well."

"You made this Lucy?"

"I had help. Luke let me borrow Sarah Jane's sonic lipstick months ago and I looked at that and he helped. He is a genius."

"So that's what the two of you were on about yesterday."

"Yes. It's not very good."

"Lucy, it's amazing. You made a sonic screwdriver. Your father would be proud." She blushed. "I'll keep it in here." Amy slid it into Rory's top pocket. "Safest place I know."

"But what if you need it?" Rory asked her.

"That's easy," Lucy said. She handed them another parcel. "I made two."

* * *

Rory left about eight, after breakfast. They hadn't done much that morning, but Lucy was happy. Uncle Sherlock had given her a science book again, but this one was slightly more advanced (as in, advanced quantum mechanics advanced) which he said was also from Molly, Greg (although he called him Geoffrey) and Mrs Hudson, Uncle John and Mary had given her a pocket toolkit, Wilf had given her an old pocket watch, Martha and Mickey a different science book, Craig, Sophie and Alfie a football, Luke, Clyde, Rani and Sky a set of pens and bits and bobs and Merlin had given her a book on the history of Britain.

"It's always good to know about where you are and this one's pretty accurate. There's a couple of mistakes early on, but that's to be expected. They don't know about magic."

"Thanks Merlin."

Nine o'clock and there was another knock at the door. Amy got up to answer it and when she came back in there was someone following her.

"Uncle Jack!"

"Hello little Lucy. Not so little anymore are you. Now what was your father playing at?" He ruffled her hair while she pushed him away. "Got you something." He handed her a small parcel. She opened it.

"What is it?"

"It is a scarf."

"But it's huge."

"Your father gave it to me once. Said he had hundreds."

"It's very blue."

"It is. Except the green bits."

"Thank you Uncle Jack. It's brilliant."

"That's all right Lucy."

"I've got you something too, but I didn't know when I'd see you." She ran upstairs and grabbed the small parcel from under her bed. She ran back to the kitchen and gave it to him. "Open it." He did and pulled out a small picture frame. "It's all of us, look."

"It's lovely Lucy, thank you. I'll put it on my desk."

She beamed at him.

"Would you like to stay for dinner Jack? We're having it late so Rory can join us, but we don't mind playing host for the day."

"No, I really should go. Got to get back to Cardiff. Nice to see you all though."

"It was a nice surprise Jack. Catch up soon, yes?"

"I will be sure to Amy."

* * *

**Author's Note: Oh, a long scarf? I wonder which Doctor that could have belonged to...**

**Thank you all for reading, reviewing, following, favouriting. Have some Jelly Babies. I would give them to you, but I don't think I can pass them through the computer screen.**


	43. Chapter 43

And a tad more The Power of Three.

* * *

Another six months past. Uncle Sherlock had had a little incident, so she hadn't seen much of him, he was busy doing something. Mycroft had told him to. She'd seen a lot more of Uncle Jack though, when he wasn't busy with Torchwood. That was nice. Her mum had come to visit a few times as well. Unfortunately, she was at the wrong point in time for her to be able to tell the Doctor off for forgetting her and Lucy had refused her offer for a quick lift back to the TARDIS. She was determined to observe the cubes. To learn to sit still. Grandma Amy had taught her how to knit and she made some clothes for Uncle John and Mary's baby and some scarves for everyone. It was nice, staying with everyone. Slowing down. She was almost back to being human.

And she'd been spending a lot of time with Luke Smith. He was nice. About her age she guessed, but it was difficult. She was what? Seventeen? And he was about the same, but he hadn't been born normally, so he had actually been alive a lot less than that. It was complicated.

"Lucy? Are you coming down?"

"Coming Grandpa Rory!"

She ran down the stairs.

"They've started arriving. Remember, except to my dad and the others, you are Amy's cousin."

"Who is here?"

"Well, Sherlock wouldn't come."

"There's people."

"Yep. John's staying at home with Mary."

"Understandable."

"Wilf couldn't come, he's busy."

"Fair enough."

"Martha and Mickey are keeping Michael at home, he's teething."

"Ouch."

"Craig and Sophie weren't sure, but I don't think they are, Alfie's been playing up."

"That's because he's Stormageddon, Dark Lord of All."

"So that just leaves the four youngsters. Luke might drop in he said, but we didn't want anyone getting too suspious. Merlin might drop by too. I don't know if Jack is or not, he's never sure."

"All right. I'll stick with Great Grandpa Brian."

"Good girl."

* * *

"Are you serious? Not only did you forget me, but you came back, picked up Grandma Amy and Grandpa Rory and went off for seven weeks!"

"Sorry Lucy."

"Seriously? You are the worst dad ever. When else will you ditch me? Should I just stay with Uncle Jack or Merlin? They're immortal. They'll be around long enough for a Time Lord's lifespan."

"On Earth? Well that's boring."

"Boring? Says the man that left me stuck here for almost a year, after already doing that once for six years."

"Lucy, I've only been gone a month. Plus the seven weeks."

"Still a month where you could have come back and from my point of view it was almost a year."

"Lucy…"

"I'm not talking to you."

* * *

"Why can't we go somewhere?"

"Because I told Amy and Rory that I would try harder this time. I thought you weren't talking to me."

"Grandpa Rory said I had to."

"I see. So, Luke Smith. Any news?"

"No. Go away. He's just a friend."

"You spend a lot of time with him."

"That's because it isn't normal for someone to spend their lives with their time travelling grandparents or adoptive crime solving uncles or centuries old warlocks."

"This isn't a normal family Lucy."

"Grandpa Rory said to fetch you. The thingys on."

"Oh yes. The thing with Craig. I think he did it as a joke."

Lucy nodded and went back to the living room. Amy and Rory were sitting on the sofa. The Doctor sat between them and Amy handed him something. Lucy sat on the floor by his feet.

"If I had a restaurant," he said after a while. "This would be all I'd serve." Another fish finger went into the custard.

"Yeah right. You running a restaurant," Amy said.

"I've run restaurants. Who do you think invented the Yorkshire pudding?"

"You didn't," Rory said, fish finger in hand, dripping with custard.

"Pudding, yet savoury. Sound familiar?"

* * *

The cube moved. Lucy stared at it.

"Impossible." It moved again. "Why now? After so long? Oh shoot." Lucy ran downstairs. "Dad! The cubes!"

"Doctor?" Rory said. "Hi. Err, the cube in there, it just opened."

"The cube upstairs just spiked me and took my pulse."

"Ha! Really? Mine fired laser bolts and now it's surfing the net."

Brian walked in.

"You're never going to believe this. My cube just moved. It rattled."

"Mine changed colour then stalked off. It didn't like me."

"Yours left Lucy?" Rory asked.

"I don't know. It looked at me, changed colour then turned and flew off in a cross manner. Wish it had shot lasers. It was boring."

Rory's phone started ringing.

"Hello?" Someone said something on the other end. "I have to get to work. They need all the help they can get."

"Let me come and help," Brian said.

"Take your dad to work night, brilliant. Okay, are you going to be all right here?"

"Keep away from the cubes," Amy warned him.

"Right." They left.

"What are you grinning about?" Amy asked the Doctor.

"We're wanted at the Tower of London."

"Can I come?"

"It'll be dangerous. Got your quirky clothes?"

"Of course." She took her jumper off, revealing a shirt and tucked it into her trousers. "Ready?" Lucy walked towards the front door, pulled her boats on and put her long coat on. As Uncle Sherlock would say, the game was on.

* * *

**Author's Note: Yay, the Doctor's back!**

**I looked at the total views earlier- over 5 000? Wow. Thank you all so much, thank you!**


	44. Chapter 44

Last one- The Power of Three

* * *

Lucy looked around in interest while the Doctor and Amy talked to Kate Stewart. She followed them into a room. There were several rooms all with cubes in.

"They've stopped," someone said. "The cubes, all across the world, they just shut down."

Lucy looked at it.

"What are you? What do you want?" She muttered to herself.

"Terrible ventilation." Lucy turned around to see the Doctor and Amy leave. She left them for a bit. Then it clicked. Lucy ran.

"I'm not running away," he was telling her. "But there is one corner of one country in one continent on one planet that's a corner of a galaxy that's a corner of a universe that is forever growing and shrinking and creating and destroying and never remaining the same for a single millisecond and there is so much to see, so much to see Amy. Because it all goes so fast. I'm not running away from things, I'm running to them before they flare and fade forever and it's all right. Our lives won't run the same. They can't. One day, soon maybe, you'll stop. I've known for a while."

"Then why do you keep coming back?"

"Because you were the first, the first face this face saw and you're seared onto my hearts Amelia Pond. You always will be. I'm running to you and Rory before you fade from me."

"Don't be nice to me. I don't want you to be nice to me."

"Yeah, you do Pond, and-"

"Hate to interrupt," Lucy said. "But I know why the cubes stopped."

"I think I've just got it too Lucy," the Doctor said.

"They got what they wanted."

* * *

Lucy watched on in horror. People were collapsing everywhere. She turned around.

"Dad!"

"I'm fine Lucy. Only got one heart. Other than that, fine."

"You need two. You're a Time Lord. We have two."

"I'll be fine Lucy. Look, the power cut. They zapped the power and then-" Lucy couldn't listen anymore. She was panicking. She couldn't lose him again. He'd only just got back.

"It's the hospital where Rory works," Amy said. Lucy didn't have a clue what she was talking about, but she'd said hospital. Hospitals were good. Yes. Hospital. They could help! Grandpa Rory could help!

Lucy helped Amy support him to the hospital. A little girl was standing in the way. The Doctor stopped to talk to her. Lucy waited, resisting the urge to pull him away and find someone.

He did something to her and it looked like she'd turned off. She must have been a monitoring system, Lucy hadn't been paying attention, but she had seen something in the corridor.

"This way." Amy and the Doctor followed her.

"Ah. It's all right. It's all right. I can't Amy. I can't do it. I need both hearts."

"All right. Desperate measures." Amy grabbed the defibrillator Lucy had seen.

"What? No, no, no, no, that won't work for me. I'm a Time Lord."

"It will work Dad. It will. Go on Grandma Amy."

"All right, clear!"

"Whoo! Ooo, ooo! Welcome back lefty! Whoa hoo! Two hearts. Back in the game. Ah. Never do that to me again. And never try that Lucy. You stick with two hearts. Unless you place your Time Lord essence in a Chameleon Arch and become human, in which case, be my guest."

"I've already done that."

"See, that was fine."

"So have you."

"So, portal to another dimension in a goods lift?" Amy said as it arrived.

"The energy signals converge here."

"Yeah, I know." Amy pulled out her sonic screwdriver.

"Where did you get that?"

"Lucy made it. She made one for Rory too."

"You made two sonic screwdrivers?"

"From Earth technology as well. She's a good girl." Lucy looked up at her father. She couldn't work out what the look in his eyes was.

"Where's Grandpa Rory? Wouldn't we have seen him?"

"Through the looking glass Amelia, Lucy?"

* * *

"Where are we?" Amy asked.

"We're in orbit. One-"

"Grandpa Rory!"

"Rory!"

"Soborian smelling salts. Outlawed in seven galaxies."

Someone shot at them. The Doctor pushed them away while Lucy woke Brian up.

"Dad, go," Rory said. "Take Lucy. She'll be safer with you."

"Oi. Seventeen years old Time Lady that grew up with Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, travelled with the Doctor, also known as Dad, for several years, one grandparent is a 2000 year old Roman, the other is Scottish, mother who had no problems showing me all sorts of stuff and learnt some stuff off Merlin- the Merlin- too. Think I can handle it." Rory looked at her. "I'm not quiet, I'm thinking and observing, just like Uncle Sherlock taught me."

"Looks like we don't have a choice Rory," Amy chuckled. "She's right after all. She is special. She worked out what the cubes were for before us and she is a Time Lord. She can regenerate. If anything, she's safer than us."

"Then let's go and find Dad," Lucy said, walking off. She had the same mad glint in her eyes the Doctor had every time something happened and he got excited, Rory noticed. She truly was her father's daughter.

They reached the Doctor and the strange man he was talking to.

"Who are you calling a contagion?" Amy asked the alien.

"Didn't I tell you three to go? Especially you Lucy."

"She's her father's daughter. Couldn't resist joining in on the fun," Amy said.

"Bit like her grandmother then," Rory said.

"Well, in that case, Lucy, good choice of people to take after. What is this Tally anyway?"

"Judgement Day or something like that," Lucy said. "Not even Dad wanted to find out. There's nothing about it really in the TARDIS."

"Before the Closure, there is the Tally. The Shakri serves the Tally."

"The pest controllers of the universe," the Doctor said.

"As the stories say."

"Time Lords have some seriously weird bedtime stories."

"You can talk. Wolf in your grandmother's nightdress?"

"There's the one about the gingerbread house too with the two children that throw a witch in an oven. Hansel and Gretel. Earth stories can get pretty violent."

"The Shakri are here depositing slug pellets all over the Earth, made attractive so humans will collect them, hoping to find something beautiful inside because that's what they are, not pests or plagues, creatures of hope, forever building and reaching. Making mistakes, of course, every life form does, but they learn and they strive for greater and they achieve it. You want a tally, put their achievements against their failings through the whole of time I will back humanity against the Shakri every time."

"The Tally must be met. The second wave will be released."

"They're going to kill more people," Lucy said. "We have to stop them."

"The human plague breeding and fighting and when cornered, their rage to destroy. You are too late Doctor, the Tally shall be met."

"He's gone?" Amy said as he vanished.

"He was never really here," the Doctor began to explain.

"He was an interface?" The Doctor nodded. "So it's all automated. You can stop the cubes from here. Fiddle with the things and send the Shakri away."

"All those people who were near the cubes, so many of them will have died," the Doctor said.

"You'd need mass defibrillation," Rory said.

"Of course, oh, beautiful."

"Please don't kiss him again," Lucy said.

"I won't Lucy. Ponds, we are going to go one better than that. The cubes turned hearts off, we're going to use them to turn hearts back on."

"Will that work?" Amy asked.

"He just said you were creatures of hope. If you try there is a chance, however small and that's more than if you don't try at all," Lucy said. "So it's worth a shot, right?"

The Doctor sonicked the computer.

"Thirty seconds. Don't let me down cubes."

"Dad? All the cubes going off at once. That's a lot of energy. In here. In thirty seconds."

"Yes Lucy. Run!"

"I'm going to miss this," Rory said.

"This bit not so much," Lucy said as the ship exploded behind them, just as they jumped through the portal and landed in the corridor. "Bit too close."

* * *

Amy and Rory ordered Chinese for dinner. Easier than cooking. Lucy was watching Rory attempt to us the chopsticks. He wasn't very good at it.

"Dear me, we'd better get going Lucy. Things to do, worlds to save, swings to swing on. Look, I know you both have lives here," the Doctor said, looking at Amy and Rory. "Beautiful, messy lives. That is what makes you so fabulously human. You don't want to give them up. I understand."

"Actually," Brian interrupted. "It's you they can't give up Doctor and I don't think they should. Go with him." Brian turned to Rory. "Go save every world you can find. Who else has that chance? Life will still be here."

"You could come Brian," the Doctor said.

"Someone's got to water the plants. Just bring them back safe."

The Doctor nodded and he walked to the TARDIS with his Ponds.

"See you soon Great Grandpa Brian."

"See you soon Lucy."

"Keep an eye on Sherlock, John and Merlin will you? I can't help think they're about to get into huge trouble."

"Are they ever out of it?"

"Lucy!" the Doctor called. "You coming this time?"

"Coming Dad!"

She ran after him and jumped into the TARDIS.

* * *

**Author's Note: Poor Brian. "Just bring them back safe." If only he'd known.**

**Thanks to all readers, reviewers, followers and favouriters (not even sure that's a word, but oh well, is now!). **

**The next story bring in the return of an old friend. Who? Well, you'll just have to wait and see...**


	45. Chapter 45

**Author's Note: Writing credits for the Angels Take Manhattan go to- surprise, surprise- Steven Moffat. Who else would think to kill Rory three times in one episode? What a send off. **

**Ha! Rory, you're old and you're dead.**

**Oh wait, not you're not. You're young an alive. **

**No, you just jumped off a building. Defiantly dead this time. **

**Hang on. Rory. You're alive!**

**Oh no, you're not. No, really. This time you're not.**

**Don't get me wrong though. Got to love Steven Moffat sometimes. When he's not killing Rory. Or Clara. At least he keeps his promises (The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances ring any bells? "Just this once, everybody lives." Yep. Just that once.)**

* * *

The Angels Take Manhattan

* * *

_Several months and several adventures later_

"New York growled at my window, but I was ready for it. My stocking seams were straight, my lipstick was combat ready and I was packing cleavage that could fell an ox at twenty feet."

"Doctor, you're doing it again," Amy interrupted.

"I'm reading!"

"Aloud. Please could you not?"

"There's something different about you, isn't there?"

"What's the book?" Rory asked.

"Melody Malone. She's a private detective in old town New York."

"She's got ice in her heart and a kiss on her lips and a vulnerable side she keeps well hidden."

"Sounds a bit like Mum."

"You've read it?"

"You read it. Aloud. Then went yowzah."

"Only you could fancy someone in a book."

"I'm just reading it. I like the cover."

"Can we see the cover?" Amy asked.

"No, I'm busy. It's your hair. Is it your hair?"

"Oh, shut up. It's the glasses. I'm wearing reading glasses now, on my nose, see? There you go."

"I don't like them. They make your eyes look all liney. No, actually, sorry, they're fine, carry on."

"Subtle Dad." Lucy looked up over her book at Amy. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Good book. Uncle Sherlock had given it to her. Apparently, he'd enjoyed them. The Doctor had recommended them. Merlin had scoffed at their need for wands to do magic, but that didn't mean he hadn't read them as well and had admitted they were quite good. He thought it was funny they used phrases like "Merlin's saggy pants" and "Merlin's beard."

"Rory, do I have noticeable lines on my eyes now?"

"Yes," the Doctor said.

"No," Rory said.

"You didn't look."

"I noticed them earlier. Didn't notice them. I specifically remember not noticing them."

"You walk among fire pits centurion."

"Do I have to come over there?"

"Can if you like." Lucy focused on her book, knowing what was about to happen. A three-headed dog named Fluffy? Good name. It would be nice to have a three-headed dog.

"Do you know, it is so humiliating when you do that."

"And you kissing Mum is any better."

"Coffee?" Rory asked.

"Coffee," Amy confirmed.

"Can I have a go?"

"Oh here we go. I wear glasses now, glasses are cool," Lucy said.

"Oh, actually that is much better and Lucy? I've worn glasses for centuries."

"You don't actually need them though, do you?"

"Stop arguing with your daughter and read me a story," Amy said.

"I thought you didn't like me reading aloud?"

"Just don't go yowzah." He laughed and tore the last page out.

"Why did you do that?"

"He doesn't like endings."

"Story. As I crossed the street…"

Lucy went back to her own book then looked up. Skinny guy?

"Doctor? What did the skinny guy say?"

"He said, 'I just went to get coffees for the Doctor and Amy and a hot chocolate for Lucy. Hello River.'"

* * *

They went back to the TARDIS.

"Told it sounded like Mum. No wonder he went yowzah."

"What are River and Rory doing in a book?"

"He went to get coffee. Pay attention."

"And hot chocolate."

"He went to get coffee-"

"And hot chocolate."

"-and turned up in a book. How does that work?"

"No idea. We're in New York!"

"Where did you get this book?"

"It was in my jacket."

"How did it get there?"

"How does anything get in there?"

"Well, you pick stuff up, Mum picks stuff up, I pick stuff up, Grandma Amy picks stuff up, Grandpa Rory picks stuff up, everyone you meet picks stuff up and your pockets are like TARDIS pockets so everything ends up in there. I wouldn't be surprised if the universe was in there, or maybe a pocket universe."

"This is no time for jokes Lucy, River and Rory are inside a book," the Doctor said, holding back giggles.

"Mum must have put the book in your pocket. Melody? Hello? She must have written it."

"Does she mention a date?"

"Yes, hang on, April 3rd 1938." Amy flicked through the book. "Says Rory can't have come in the TARDIS. You couldn't have landed it."

"Couldn't have? What does she mean couldn't have?"

"This city's full of time distortions," Amy read. "It'd be impossible to land the TARDIS here. Like trying to land a plane in a blizzard. Even I couldn't do it."

"Even who couldn't do it?"

"Don't you two fall out, she's only in a book."

"1938. Easy one."

"Not if Mum says you can't."

"What was that?"

"1938. We just bounced off."

* * *

"The Weeping Angels?" Amy asked.

"It makes sense," the Doctor replied.

"It makes what?"

"That's how Grandpa Rory got there. He doesn't have a vortex manipulator, so he must have been zapped by an Angel. Their favourite form of attack."

"So use your time machine to go back and rescue him."

"We tried that. We bounced off. Back where we started now Grandma Amy."

"We didn't start in a graveyard."

"Probably linked somehow," Lucy said.

"We'll get there somehow. We're in the rest of the book."

"Doing what?" The Doctor asked.

"Page forty three, you're going to break something."

"I'm what?"

"'Why do you have to break mine?' I asked the Doctor. He frowned and said, 'Because Amy read it in a book and now I have no choice.'"

"Stop, no, no, stop! You can't read ahead. You mustn't and you can't do that."

"But we've already been reading it."

"Just the stuff that's happening now, in parallel with us. That's as far as we can go."

"But it could help us find Rory."

"Or it could tell us one of us dies," Lucy said. "You pick up one detective novel and it's this one? Why not an old one that doesn't have us in it?"

"Time can be rewritten."

"Not if you read it yourself. You know Dad's going to break something of Mum's now. It's set in stone." They headed back into the TARDIS, Lucy thinking as the doctor tried to work out how to get to 1938 without destroying Earth.

"Right. I need something to lock onto. What did she say? Early what dynasty?"

"Early Qin." He did something, popped out the TARDIS for a bit then came back in.

"Landing lights. We have a signal. Locking on."

"You know, I could have just used the vortex manipulator Mum gave me."

"Almost there."

They stepped out the TARDIS. The Doctor stopped to check something in the car, Amy impatiently hurrying him up.

"Rory? Rory?" Amy was panicking. The Doctor strolled into a room.

"Sorry I'm late honey, traffic was hell." He looked at the man on the floor. "Shock. He'll be fine."

"Not if I get loose. Hi Lucy, darling, how are you?"

"I'm all right Mum."

"I don't need to tell him off?"

"I already did."

"That's my girl."

"So where are we Doctor Song? How's prison?" the Doctor asked, smiling.

"Oh, I was pardoned ages ago. And it's Professor Song to you."

"Pardoned?"

"Turns out the person I killed never existed in the first place, apparently, there's no record of him."

"Sounds like someone's been going around deleting all records of himself," Lucy said. She knew that was what he'd been doing.

"You said I got to big River."

"And now no one's heard of you. Didn't you use to be somebody?"

"Weren't you the woman who killed the Doctor?"

"Doctor Who?"

"Stop flirting in front of me, that's disgusting. That Angel's got a pretty tight hold on you Mum."

"At least she didn't send me back in time."

"I doubt she's strong enough. So, have you met a certain Luke Smith yet?"

"Oh yes. Luke. Sarah Jane's boy."

"Seems like he's turned our Lucy's head."

"More like she turned his. How old are you now Lucy? Eighteen?"

"Just. How are we going to get Mum's wrist out? We could break the Angel's wrist or Mum's." The Doctor looked at Lucy, then at River.

"Oh no. Why do you have to break mine?"

"Because Amy read it in a book and now I have no choice. You see Pond?" He said, noticing her in the doorway.

"What book?"

"The one in Dad's pocket. You wrote it, or write it. Description's pretty good. There's a description of you and he said yowzah."

"If River's going to write the book, she'd make it useful, yeah?"

"I'd certainly try, but we can't read ahead-"

"We can look at chapter titles though," Lucy said, pulling it out of her dad's hand. "Look see? Chapter Nine, Calling the Doctor, Chapter Ten, The Roman in the Cellar. Grandpa Rory's in the cellar."

Amy ran off.

"She didn't ask for the sonic," River said.

"Lucy made her and Rory a pair. Surprised he hasn't used it."

"Maybe he doesn't have it."

"Maybe it broke. It wasn't a brilliant screwdriver." Lucy looked at the chapter titles again. She looked at the last one, then silently handed it to her Dad. He kissed River and started to leave.

"Doctor. I know that face. Doctor. Please, talk to me."

"No. Get your own wrist out." He was blinking back tears. Without breaking it."

"How?"

"I don't know. Just do it, change the future."

"Lucy. The last chapter. What was it called?"

"Amelia's Last Farewell."

* * *

**Author's Note: You know the old friend I mentioned? Welcome back science jokes!**

**The Doctor has universes in his pockets. What other kind of universe could you possibly find in your jacket other than a pocket universe?**

**Or maybe this one.**

**What's a mathematician's favourite type of universe? Parallel universes. **

**That was no a bad chemistry joke, that was physics. I never said they'd go away forever did I? Science jokes shall return! **

**(As shall maths if I can possibly find a way to make that funny. The only one I can think of is "What did i say to pi? Be rational! To which pi replied "get real!" Yep. Maths jokes are even worse than science jokes. There is just no way to make that funny, unless there's a picture or you understand maths. Let's just stick with the science jokes)**


	46. Chapter 46

The Angels take Manhattan. Again.

* * *

"He moved in space, not time," River said. Rory hadn't been in the cellar. Lucy left the three of them to talk, determined not to tell the Doctor what River had done to get her wrist out. He seemed so hopeful and she didn't want it to be true just as much as she did.

She watched as the Doctor healed River's wrist. She was cross with him.

Lucy got into the car behind her parents.

They arrived at Winter Quay. Amy ran off, Lucy following. They walked into a room. Number 802. It said R. Williams on the door.

"Get out of here. Don't look at anything," the Doctor warned. "Don't touch."

"Who's that?" Amy asked.

"Amy. Please, Amy. Please."

"Rory?" She turned to her husband. "He's you."

"Amy." Lucy watched on in horror as her grandfather closed his eyes.

"Will someone please tell me what's going on?"

"Rory, I'm sorry, but you just died," the Doctor said.

"Again," Lucy added under her breath.

"This place is policed by the Angels. Every time you try and escape, they zap you back in time."

"They built this place?" Lucy asked. "It's like they're farming time energy. Quite clever really." She looked at the others. "Awful of course, but clever. Sort of like how humans farm animals. Only not as nice obviously. We wouldn't want anything like that to happen to you Grandpa Rory. You've got to stay with us forever." Lucy felt she should change the subject before she dug herself a bigger hole. "The Angels will be coming for you any minute Grandpa Rory. Zap you back thirty, fourty years, keep you here until today."

"Will Amy be there?"

"No," the Doctor said.

"How do you know?" Amy asked.

"Because he was so pleased to see you again."

"They haven't got me yet. What if I run? What if I just get the hell out of here? Then that will never have happened."

"It's already happened Rory. You've just witnessed your own future."

"Doctor, he's right," River said.

"No he isn't."

"Yes he is Dad. If Grandpa Rory left, it would create a paradox."

"It would damage the Angel's food source. It could kill them all," River said.

"It would be almost impossible," the Doctor said.

"Loving the almost," River replied.

"It would take unimaginable power to create a paradox like that? What have we got?"

"I won't let them take him," Amy said. "That's what we've got."

"A stubborn woman who's already rewritten time for him before, that's quite a lot really," Lucy said. There was a noise from the hallway. "Sounds like the Angels are getting closer. But even if you did find a way out, you'd have to keep running forever Grandpa Rory."

"Better get started then," Amy said. She opened the door. An Angel was standing there. "Husband, run!"

"River, I'm not sure this can work," the Doctor said as Amy and Rory sprinted off.

"Husband, shut up."

"They've had practise at running Dad. Isn't that what you spend your life doing? Running?"

The three of them ran after Rory and Amy, stopping to sonic the light bulbs. The Angels drew in closer.

"We can't keep doing this," the Doctor said.

"Any ideas?" River asked.

"The usual. Run!"

"See? Told you you spend your life running!" The Angels were on the stairs. "Fire escape over there."

* * *

They were on the roof. Amy and Rory were standing on the ledge. Lucy was shaking. This was Sherlock all over again. They were going to fall. They were going to leave her. There were tears in her eyes. She would be on her own again. They were going to jump.

Her mind flashed back to that day.

_"This phone call. It's my note. That's what people do, don't they? Leave a note?"_

_"Leave a note when?"_

_"Goodbye John. Farewell Lucy."_

_"No Sherlock, don't," John said as he threw away the phone. "Sherlock!" Time slowed down as he fell. Each second felt like forever until it was all over. Blood stained the pavement and Lucy knew it was all over. A man held her back._

_"It's not a sight for a young girl to see." The man refused to let her go. "One day. Not today."_

Now the same man was about to do the same thing and this time there was no plan. Lucy was paralysed. She couldn't move. They fell.

Energy flickered around the roof. Something was happening, but Lucy still couldn't move. The building vanished. They were back in the graveyard by the TARDIS. She still couldn't move. The others had agreed to go on a family outing. Amy and Rory were fine. All was fine. But she still couldn't move.

"Lucy?" River asked. "You all right?"

"Anyone else planning on jumping off any buildings?"

"Oh Lucy," Rory said, picking her up. "I'm so sorry. It was the only way. I promise, I will never leave you." She nodded. Why was the only way so frequently to fall off a building? Rory looked at something behind her. "Amy, come and see this."

"What?"

"There's a gravestone here for someone with the same name as me." Rory let go of Lucy and went to have a closer look. He vanished.

"Doctor!" Amy yelled.

"Where the hell did that come from?" River asked.

"It's a survivor," the Doctor answered. "Very weak, but keep your eyes on it."

"Where's Rory?"

Lucy looked at the gravestone.

"I'm sorry Amelia. I'm so sorry."

"No, no we can just go and get him in the TARDIS. One more paradox."

"It would rip New York apart."

"No, that's not true. I don't believe you."

"Mother, it's true."

"Amy, what are you doing?"

"The gravestone. Rory's. There's room for one more name, isn't there?"

"What are you talking about? Back away from the Angel. Come back to the TARDIS. We'll figure something out."

"The Angel, would it send me back to the same time? To him?"

"I don't know. Nobody knows."

"But it's my best shot, yeah?"

"No!"

"Doctor, shut up. Yes, yes it is."

"Amy."

"Well then. I just have to blink right?"

"No!"

"It'll be fine. I know it will be. I'll be with him, like I should be. Me and Rory together. Melody?"

"Stop it, just, just stop it!"

"You look after him. You be a good girl and you look after him. You too Lucy. Make sure he's never alone. Neither of you should ever be alone." Lucy nodded as River kissed her mother goodbye.

"You are creating fixed time. I will never be able to see you again."

"I'll be fine. I'll be with him."

"Amy please just come back to the TARDIS. Come along Pond, please."

"Raggedy man, goodbye." She turned around to face them, turning her back on the Angel. Words formed on the gravestone, now reading Amy's name alongside Rory's.

"No!" The Doctor broke down. Lucy couldn't move. Was that it? That couldn't be it. All that, they couldn't just be gone. Not Grandma Amy and Grandpa Rory.

* * *

The Doctor was talking to River in the TARDIS. Lucy was just sitting, the same as she'd done the night Sherlock had gone. Only this time, she knew there was no plan. No back up. They truly were gone.

"I will see you soon my Lucy," River said, bending down to kiss her daughter goodbye. "You will have such adventures you and him. I know you will."

"See you soon Mum." River left and the Doctor sprinted out the TARDIS. Lucy ran after him.

* * *

Lucy read the last page over her father's shoulder. He was wearing Amy's reading glasses again.

_Afterward, by Amelia Williams._

_Hello old friend. And here we are, you and me, on the last page. By the time you read these words, we will be long gone. Rory and I will be long gone. So you know that we lived well and we were happy. And, above all else, know that we will love you always. Sometimes I do worry about you though. I think that, once we're gone, you won't be coming back here for a while, and you might be alone. I know you've got Lucy, but she has her own life to live as well. You might be alone, which you should never be. Don't be alone Doctor and do one more thing for me. There's a little girl waiting in a garden. She's going to wait a long time, so she's going to need a lot of hope. Go to her. Tell her a story. Tell her that, if she's patient, the days are coming that she'll never forget. Tell her she'll go to the sea and fight pirates. She'll fall in love with a man who will wait two thousand years to keep her safe. Tell her she'll give hope to the greatest painter who ever lived and save a whale in outer space._

_ Tell her this is the story of Amelia Pond._

_And this is how it ends._

* * *

**Author's Note: Is this that last of the Ponds? **

**Thanks too all for following, favouriting, reviewing and reading.**

**Also thanks to TimeLadyHope for proving you can make a maths joke: " A mom asks her son what he learned in school today, to which he replies, "Pi r squared." To which his mother replies, "Pie are round! Cornbread are square!""**

**Yay, a maths joke!**


	47. Chapter 47

Lucy left her father alone for a while after that. He kept turning the page over and over in his hands, refusing to talk to anyone. It was a good week before he stood up again.

"Here. Keep the book. Maybe you'll find something in there for you."

"Where are you going dressed up so smart?"

"To find your mother. I've still got her, right?"

Lucy nodded. She still had River and she could use the vortex manipulator to do some visiting. She was seventeen years old and she'd left Luke Smith somewhere.

They arrived somewhere. Lucy stayed in the TARDIS, in her room, leaving the two of them alone. They needed to be alone.

There was something on the second to last page. Just a quick message.

_Amy and Rory were together. Always and forever. They'd lost their friend, daughter and granddaughter, but it was by no means the end. _

_40.67 ͦN, 73.94 ͦW 25/12/1940 Earth_

_See you soon, Lucy_

_Grandpa Rory_

Lucy knew what it was. Longitude and latitude and a date. Christmas Day. She couldn't go yet, but she knew what it meant. One day, she would be able to see them again.

* * *

She wouldn't go yet. She needed to make sure the Doctor was all right first. He was upset about something.

"What's wrong?" He was in tears. River had just left.

"The first time I met your mother, she died."

"So?"

"She said I'd taken her to the Singing Towers of Darillium the day before."

"That was today."

"I know what will happen to her tomorrow and I know I can't be there for her. She's going to her death and there is nothing I can do."

"You saved her in the library though."

"I'd rather have her still."

"Time can be rewritten."

"Not this time. She told me I wasn't allowed."

"Then let me go and say goodbye. Please Dad."

"Fine. But do not interfere. Do not let me know who you are. And do not get into any danger. There are Vasta Nerada everywhere."

"Dad, I'm eighteen, I can look after myself."

"I'm not joking Lucy. In the last week I have lost Amy, Rory and River, three of the people I care about the most. I'm not losing a fourth."

"I'll be fine Dad. I'll be seconds." She pulled out her vortex manipulator and vanished.

"I know you will Lucy. I remember."


	48. Chapter 48

**Author's Note: It's like ten minutes at the end. But anyway. Short one for you. Seeing as the last chapter was so short and this one you might as well have both today. **

**Writing Credits for Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead go to Steven Moffat **

* * *

Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead (ish) 

* * *

Lucy couldn't believe she was doing this.

"Time can be rewritten."

"Not those times. Not one line."

She stood and watched in horror. Perhaps it hadn't been a good idea to come.

"Four, three."

"Spoilers." River looked directly at Lucy and nodded as she plugged the cables into each other. _Goodbye darling,_ she mouthed. The room light up.

* * *

Lucy stood by the stairs in tears. She noticed two people talking behind her and hid her distraught.

"Donna, this is her diary. My future. I could look you up. What do you think? Shall we peak at the end?"

"Spoilers right?"

"Spoilers," Lucy muttered. The Doctor, a younger version, the previous regeneration, and Donna walked off before he ran back. "The screwdriver."

"What have you done?" Donna asked.

"Saved her." He sprinted off again, leaving Donna looking confused. She walked back to the TARDIS and Lucy picked up the diary. It was a good few minutes before he came back, but she hadn't moved. "Who are you?"

"Professor River Song died, didn't she."

"Yes. That's her diary. What are you doing with it?"

"Do you mind if I keep it?"

"Why?"

"To remember her."

"Who is she to you?"

"Spoilers." Lucy couldn't help but let the tears flow. That was it. Her mother was gone.

"You're from my future as well." Lucy nodded. "Keep the book." He held his hand out. "The screwdriver too."

"Thank you."

"I must ask you a question though. Do you know my name as well?"

"I don't need to. I call you something no one else can call you." He nodded. He looked so different young, with his suit and converses. No bow tie.

"I look forward to meeting you in the future…"

"It's not time for you to know me yet. Give it another few decades. Maybe centauries." She pressed a button on her vortex manipulator. "See you." The TARDIS welcomed her home. "Sorry Dad. I saw you."

"I know you did Lucy. I was there."


	49. Chapter 49

"Afternoon stranger."

"Lucy! What are you doing here?"

"Just visiting Uncle Jack."

"Well, I'm always happy to have a visit from my favourite Time Lord."

"Don't let Dad know you called me that."

Captain Jack Harkness chuckled.

"How old are you now Lucy? Last time I saw you, you were seventeen."

"Eighteen. Just. Unlike Dad I try and meet people in chronological order, with the exception of Mum who seems to be against it."

"Right. At least when he's visited since you've been born it's been a different version."

"I checked the times with the TARDIS."

"That's my girl. Wish your father would do that sometimes."

"Me too."

"So Lucy, hungry?"

"Starving."

"Come on then. I know this great place around the corner where we can get a bite to eat."

"Thanks Uncle Jack." They walked towards the café.

"Why'd you leave your dad then?"

"Just fancy a break. He's moping around, just lost Grandma Amy and Grandpa Rory and Mum. Retired above Victorian London at the moment."

"I liked Amy and Rory. How'd they go?"

"Weeping Angels. He told you about Mum before, didn't he."

"Yes. Needed some advice. At least Amy and Rory got a life together."

"And I can still visit."

"Yes. When are you heading back?"

"Soon, but I might go after he's stopped being so grumpy."

"No, go back to him. He needs you now more than ever."

"All right. Thanks Uncle Jack. I'm still having lunch though."

"Course you are. Wouldn't expect any less. They won't give you fish fingers and custard though."

"Bet they still have Jammy Dodgers."

* * *

Lucy spent the day with Jack, travelling around Cardiff, keeping their eyes on the rift.

"So, not likely to see Amy and Rory again?"

"They left a note in a book. Coordinates and a date."

"In that case, Vortex Manipulator time."

"Yeah."

"Maybe you should go now. Reckon they'll have something to say about old Doc going and copping a strop."

"I guess I could go and see them now. Thanks Uncle Jack. Love you."

"Love you too Lucy." They hugged and she vanished, appearing in a house with a Christmas tree and two people sitting there with an extra plate laid.

"Quickly Lucy. Dinner's getting cold." She smiled at Amy and Rory.


	50. Chapter 50

**Author's Note: Blimey, 50 chapters. Good grief. I have got no idea how that happened. Blame Lucy. Honestly, that girl cannot keep herself out of trouble. I guess she is the Doctor's daughter.**

**Thank you to all you lovely cool, fantastic, brilliant people who have read, reviewed, followed and favourited. I don't think I'll ever be able to give you my full thanks. You've made this all worthwhile and it brings joy to my eyes to know people actually like my nonsense. Took me ages to get the courage up to actually publish something. You have made it fantastic. I love you lots and for that there will be no bad science jokes in this chapter. There may be other jokes though. **

**Writing credits for The Snowmen goes to Steven Moffat. **

* * *

The Snowmen

* * *

Lucy had been on a quick visit to Grandma Amy and Grandpa Rory and they'd told her to stick with the Doctor as well. But she couldn't sit still. Didn't have to in the end.

"Well this is fun. I'm like Uncle Sherlock, a detective." Madam Vastra smiled at her. The Silurian had been more than happy to take her in for a while, and even more so when she found out about Sherlock's deduction lessons. "So, snow that remembers how to make snowmen, all linked to this Doctor Simeon somehow. No luck with Dad?"

"None I am afraid."

"Ah well. He'll come around eventually. He always does."

"I do hope so."

* * *

The girl was sitting on the seat. Lucy looked at her. She seemed familiar. She'd passed the one word test and that was impressive. Lucy was just as shocked by her choice of word as everyone else.

Pond.

* * *

"Really?"

"Yes. She said Pond."

"And you actually went?"

"Yes."

"You said your name was Sherlock Holmes?"

"I did."

"Uncle Sherlock will be flattered."

"He thought I was talking about Arthur Conan Doyle's stories in the Strand Magazine."

"You did tell Arthur not to call his character Sherlock, didn't you? I still can't believe you thought it was a good idea to introduce them."

"Well, it was worth it. Madam Vastra and Sherlock have so much in common."

"You mean they're both detectives?"

"Pretty much. Anyway, I think Arthur really writes about Vastra and he did listen. He called him Sherringford Homes, the private detective and his companion James Williams. It was so worth it. Good old Arthur."

"So you aren't retired anymore?"

"I am. I just went for a look around to help Vastra."

"You've missed it. I can see it. You look like a six year old in a sweet shop."

"Shut up. Now, there's a body frozen in a pond, the snow-"

"Is basically doing a scan so it can become human."

"Madam Vastra wondered if you would need any grenades?" Strax asked. Who else could it be.

"Grenades?"

"She said they might help."

"Help for what?"

"Your investigation."

"I just told Lucy Strax, I'm not investigating. I'm not going to start investigation just because some bird smiles at me. Who do you think I am?"

"Sherlock Holmes."

"No way is he Uncle Sherlock Strax, he's not smart enough. Maybe Sherringford Homes."

"Don't be clever Strax, it doesn't suit you."

"Sorry sir."

"I'm the clever one, you're the potato one."

"Yes sir."

"What am I then?"

"The ginger one."

"Fair enough."

"Now go away Strax."

"Yes Mister Homes."

"Oi! Shut up, you're not clever or funny and you've got tiny little legs."

"I think you're funny Strax."

"Thank you Lucy."

"You can go away as well."

"Ah, Dad. You heading back to the TARDIS?"

"Yes. I am retired. Tell Vastra what I said."

* * *

A carriage pulled up.

"It's the human male from the Institute. What's he doing here? Suggest we melt his brains using projectile acid fish then interrogate him."

"Other way around Strax."

"We should go into the house," Vastra said. "It sounds like something's happening."

"Leave the grenades behind Strax," Jenny said.

"What if we need them?"

"We don't," Lucy said.

They knocked on the door. A woman opened it.

"Good evening. I'm a lizard woman from the dawn of time and this is my wife."

"This dwelling is under attack. Remain calm human scum."

"Defiantly the way to stop everyone panicking Strax."

"So, any questions?" The Doctor was addressing the occupants of the house.

"You have a gentleman friend?" the man asked the woman, Clara.

"That was your excuse? That's awful."

"Vastra, what's happening?" the Doctor asked, ignoring Lucy.

"The snow is highly localised and on this occasion not naturally occurring."

"It's coming out of the cab parked by the gates," Jenny added.

"Sir, one pulver grenade would blow these snowmen to smithereens."

"That wouldn't work Strax," Lucy said. "They're made of snow. They're already smithereens. See Clara? Our friends again."

"Clara? Who's Clara?"

"Your current governess is in reality a former barmaid called Clara."

"That's the way to do it," Lucy heard a voice say.

"Meanwhile your previous governess is now a living ice sculpture impersonating Mister Punch. Jenny what have you got?" Jenny threw something.

"That should hold it."

"Sir, this room. One observational window on the line of attack and one defendable entrance."

"Pretty good room to pick then, wasn't it Strax?" Lucy said.

"Right, everyone in there. Now. Move it. You, carry her."

"Nice to see you off your cloud engaging again," Vastra said.

"I'm not engaging again, I'm under attack."

"You missed this, didn't you."

"Shut up."

They retreated into the room. Strax was back in battle mode and was clearly enjoying himself. He was explaining all the battle techniques.

The Doctor left. He told Clara to stay behind, but she followed. Lucy decided to leave him to it. If this woman could get him off his cloud, then it was worth it.

* * *

Lucy didn't see her hit the ground, but she heard it. She didn't know what it was until Jenny told them, but she knew that might be the end. If this woman died, he would never come back. It would just remind him of losing everything.

The TARDIS materialised around Clara and then in the room.

They put her on the table.

"That green woman said she was dead," the man, Latimer, said. "How can she be alive now?"

"This technology has capacities and abilities beyond your puny human mind could possible understand. Try not to worry," Strax explained.

"He's trying to say, it's complicated," Lucy said.

"Hey, hello," the Doctor said. Lucy hadn't noticed him walk back in.

"They all think I'm going to die, don't they."

"And I know you're going to live."

"How?"

"I never know how. I just know who." He handed her something.

"The green lady. She said you were the saver of worlds once. Are you going to save this one?"

"If I do, will you come away with me?"

"Yes."

"Well then. Merry Christmas." He straightened his bow tie and went to do something. Lucy smiled then went after him.

"You mean it? You're going to not be retired anymore? The universe will have its hero back?"

"Yes."

Lucy smiled as he opened the door.

"I have in my hand a piece of the Ice Lady," he said to Doctor Simeon. "Everything you need to know about how to make ice people. Is that what you want? See you at the office." He closed the door and went back to the TARDIS. Lucy made a mental note to thank Clara later.

Vastra was in the TARDIS with him.

"So then Doctor, saving the world again? Might I ask why? Are you making a bargain with the universe? You'll save the world to let her live?"

"Yes. And don't you think, after all this time and everything I've ever done, that I am owed, just this once?"

"I don't think the universe makes bargains."

"It was my fault."

"Well then. Better save the world."

They used the TARDIS to get to the institute. It was a few minutes before Simeon arrived.

"You promised us something. Have you brought it?"

"Big fella's been quiet while you've been out. Which is only to be expected, considering who he really is."

Lucy looked around while they were talking. She knew what was in the box.

So the Intelligence had been talking to Simeon since he was a child? That made sense. That was why he was so determined to do what it said. A parasite, the Doctor had called it. Made a lot of sense.

Simeon grabbed the lunch box. The memory worm bit him as he opened it. There go the last few decades of his life.

The Intelligence was gone.

Only, it wasn't gone. It took over Simeon's form.

"Sausages," Lucy said.

* * *

**Author's Note: Still not the last of the Ponds. Also, the fact the Doctor was pretending to be Sherlock Holmes to get inside the Institute played such a part in the story, I couldn't leave it out. We probably shall never find out exactly what happened when the Doctor took Sherlock and John to meet Vastra, but I imagine it involved helping a certain Arthur Conan Doyle in a case and sparking the ideas for his books. One of the names considered for his dectective was Sherringford. James and Homes are just similar names, although I'd like to think Lucy suggested Williams in honour of Amy and Rory.**


	51. Chapter 51

The Snowmen Part Two

* * *

"By erasing Simeon, you made space for me," the Intelligence explained. "I fill him now. DO you feel it? Winter is coming."

"Really? Do we need any more winter? Can't it be spring already?" Lucy said.

"Winter is coming!"

"Spoil sport."

Something shifted. Lucy felt it. The globe filled with water.

"What's happening?" The Intelligence asked.

"Doctor, the globe. It's turning to rain. All of it, the snow, look." Simeon collapsed. "He's dead. What's happening?"

"The snow mirrors, that's all it does. It's mirroring something else now. Something so strong, it's drowning everything else." He opened a window. "There was a critical mass of snow at the house. If something happened there…"

"It's salty. Salt water rain."

"It's not raining. It's crying. The only force on earth that could drown the snow. A whole family crying on Christmas Eve."

"Dad, Clara."

They headed back to the TARDIS and before Lucy could find the words. She left him to talk to Clara alone.

* * *

Lucy didn't know what to do. More losing people? He'd only go back up on his cloud.

They went to the funeral. It was the right thing to do.

They said goodbye to Vastra and Jenny. As the family left, he walked forward to the gravestone.

"I never knew her name. Her full name." He looked at it. "It was soufflé girl again. I never saw her face the first time with the Daleks, but her voice, it was the same voice."

"Doctor?" Jenny asked.

"The same woman twice and she died both times. The same woman!"

"Doctor please, what are you talking about?" Vastra asked.

"Something's going on. Something impossible Right, you two stay here. Stay right here. Don't move an inch."

"Are you coming back?"

Shouldn't think so."

"But where are you going?"

"To find her. To find Clara." He laughed.

Lucy followed him back to the TARDIS.

There was something Sherlock said when things happened.

The game was on.


	52. Chapter 52

**Author's Note: Thank you! You lots are some cool beans. No. Beans are evil, bad bad beans. You lot are some cool bow ties.**

**Writing credits for The Bells of Saint John go to Steven Moffat. **

**He's written quite a bit, hasn't he.**

* * *

The Bells of Saint John

* * *

"I'm sorry to intrude," the monk said, walking into the room. "But the bells of Saint John are ringing."

"I'm going to need a horse."

The Doctor stood up. Lucy looked out from behind him.

"Make that two horses."

They arrived at the cave. Lucy looked up at the TARDIS and saw that the phone was ringing.

"That is not supposed to happen."

"But it is, so aren't you going to answer it?"

"Hello?" The person on the other end said something. "Sorry?" Another pause. "The internet?" Pause. "It's twelve oh seven." Pause. "Yeah, you really sort of are." Pause. "Oh, I dread to think. Listen, where did you get this number?" Pause. "What woman? Who was she?" Pause. "Look, listen, I'm not actually, it isn't. You have clicked the Wi-Fi button, yeah?"

"Are you giving someone instructions on how to use the internet? Oh this is brilliant, I wish I had a camera. The Doctor, saviour of world, part time internet helpline." He gave her a scathing look.

"Click on the Wi-Fi, you'll see a list of names. You see one you recognise?"

"Is it an evil sprint?" the monk asked.

"A woman."

The monk made the sign of the cross.

"What did you say?" He put the phone down. "Lucy, in the TARDIS."

"What did she say?"

"Run you clever boy and remember."

* * *

They arrived at the house. The Doctor didn't stop knocking.

"Hello," the girl said, opening the door. It wasn't possible. She was identical to Clara. Almost as if she was the same person.

"Clara. Clara Oswald."

"Hello." She really was the same person. How? It wasn't possible.

"Clara Oswin Oswald."

"Just Clara Oswald. What was that middle one?"

"Do you remember us?"

"No. Should I? Who are you?"

"The Doctor and this is Lucy. No? The Doctor?"

"Doctor who?"

"Precisely. He's just the Doctor. He's a bit weird."

"Could you say that again?"

"Could I what?"

"Could you ask me that question again?"

"Doctor who?"

"Okay, just once more."

"Doctor who?"

"Ooo yeah. Do you know, I never realised how much I enjoyed hearing that said out loud. Thank you."

"Told you he's a bit weird."

"Okay." She shut the door.

"Hey no, Clara, please. Clara. I need to talk to you. Listen, please."

"She won't. You scared her off with your weirdness."

"Please Clara."

"Why are you still here? Why are you here at all?"

"You phoned me. You were looking for the internet."

"That was you?"

"Of course it was me."

"How did you get here so fast?"

"I just happened to be in the neighbourhood on my mobile phone."

"When you say mobile phone why do you point at that blue box?"

"Actually, it's a pretty good description," Lucy said. "You should use it more often."

"Okay, we're finished now." She turned the machine off and left.

"Back to the TARDIS?" They went back to the Doctor's mobile phone.

"Right. Don't be a monk. Monks are not cool." He started looking for some new clothes.

"You aren't going to wear the fez are you?" Lucy asked as he put it on his head. "She thinks you're weird enough already." He threw it off his head behind him.

"Fine. Which jacket do you think?"

"You wore the purple one when you met her. Maybe that will bring back memories."

"Purple, not tweed. Got it."

They ran back to the house.

"Clara? Clara!"

"Hello?"

"Ah see? Look it's me. De-monked. Sensible clothes. Can I come in now?"

"I don't understand."

"You just open the door."

"I don't know."

"Of course you can."

"Dad, something's not right."

"And the Williams trait of spelling things out returns."

"I don't know where I am. Where am I? Please tell me. I don't know where I am."

"Can I sonic the door?"

"Been working on it?"

"Yes."

"Sonic away Lucy."

She opened the door. Clara was lying on the floor. Lucy went over to her.

"I don't know where I am."

"I know where she is." Lucy pointed at something that was standing on the stairs. It had Clara's face on it. "I vote, this time we use your sonic."

"Walking base station, walking Wi-Fi base station. Hovering up data, hovering up people." He picked up Clara's laptop. "Oh no you don't." He typed something. "Not this time Clara, I promise."

Clara sat up.

"It's okay. You're fine. You're back." She fell back again.

"I think she needs some rest. I guess her bed is upstairs."

"You take one arm, I'll take the other."

* * *

They were sitting outside the TARDIS.

"Hello," a voice called from the window. Lucy looked up at Clara.

"Hello, are you all right?"

"I'm in bed."

"Yes."

"Don't remember going."

"No."

"What did I miss?"

"Oh, quite a lot actually. Angie called. She's going to stay at Nina's. Apparently that's all completely fine and you shouldn't worry like you always do. For god's sake get of her back. Also, your dad phoned, mainly about the government. He seems very cross with them, I've got several pages about that. I said I'd look into it."

"Last time you looked in the government, it was because several of them were actually Slitheen. We aren't going to deal with them again are we?"

"No Lucy. No more Slitheen. I also fixed the rattling noise in the washing machine, indexed the kitchen cupboards, optimised photosynthesis in the main flower bed and assembled a quadricycle."

"He can't sit still for five minutes."

"Assembled a what?"

"I found a disassembled quadricycle in the garage."

"I don't think you did."

"I invented the quadricycle."

"No Dad, they've been around since the Victorian era. You didn't invent them. Did you?"

"Maybe."

"You really should stop interfering so much. Is there anything in human history you didn't invent?"

"Quite a lot. They are very clever you know."

"What happened to me?" Clara asked.

"Don't you remember?"

"I was scared. Really scared. I didn't know where I was."

"Do you know now?"

"Yes."

"Well then, you should get some sleep, because you're safe now. I promise. Goodnight Clara."

"Night." Lucy waved.

"Are you two guarding me?"

"Well, yes. Yes, we are."

"Are you seriously going to sit down there all night?"

"I promise I will not budge from this spot."

"I won't either."

"Well then, I'll have to come down to you." The window closed. Lucy looked at the Doctor.

"What?"

The door opened. Clara ran out.

"I like your house."

"It isn't mine. I'm a friend of the family."

"You look after the kids," Lucy said. "A bit like a nanny, or a governess." She fixed her eyes on the Doctor, warning him not to mention Victorian London. "There's something in the Wi-Fi."

"This whole world is swimming with Wi-Fi. We're living in Wi-Fi soup. Suppose something got inside it."

"Which it has and it's harvesting human minds. Trapping them in the World Wide Web, stuck forever, crying out for help."

"Isn't that basically Twitter?"

"I like her."

"What's the face for?"

"A computer can hack another computer. Maybe a living sentient computer can hack a person."

"Why would you say that?"

"Because a few hours ago you knew nothing about computers and you just made a joke about Twitter."

"That's weird. I know about computers now."

"So it can hack people. Clara, you brought something back. They might want it."

The Doctor looked at someone across the road.

"You and me inside that box now. Lucy, can you-"

"On it."

"You didn't hear what I had to say."

"Well, I can guess and I know what I want to do. You stick with Clara."

"Right. Inside Clara. You'll understand once we're inside."

"I bet I will. What is this box anyway? Why do you have a box? Is it like a snogging box?"

"A what?"

"Is that what you do? Bring a booth? There is such a thing as too keen."

"Er, I think you should follow him. Looks like the Wi-Fi is turning the electrics off and that over there is one of the walking base stations. Like the one you saw earlier, only with a different camouflage. Just saved you a whole conversation there Dad. I also think you should know some planes have Wi-Fi and it looks like that one does. I'll stick with that, you go sort the plane out. In the box Clara." Lucy pushed her in, then turned around to the base station. "So what are you?"


	53. Chapter 53

The Bells of Saint John. The middle bit.

* * *

She stood by the river in a crowd. She knew exactly where he would go. Luke Smith stood next to her. It had been a productive night.

"Thank you, thank you, yes magic box," a voice said. "All donations gratefully accepted. Roll up, give us your dosh. Pennies, pounds, anything you've got." The Doctor gave Clara the fez. "Keep collecting. We need enough for breakfast. Just popping back to the garage."

"Garage?"

"Is he showing off again?" Lucy walked towards Clara. "He really should stop."

"So this is tomorrow, then. Tomorrow came early."

"No, you just travelled through time, missed last night. Didn't miss that much. It rained again. Couple of power cuts. There were a lot of Wi-Fi complaints this morning. Obviously, I had nothing to do with that. Oh, this is Luke Smith by the way. He's an old friend. Luke, this is Clara. She's a new friend. I think."

The Doctor emerged. "Thank you, thank you. Tomorrow, a camel." He was sitting on his motorbike, wearing a helmet with a spare one for Clara. The fez was emptied and put on someone's head. "You taking the long way again?"

"If by the long way, you mean the bus, then yes."

* * *

The bus was nearly empty.

"So, new companion."

"Looks like it. She's a bit impossible. Met her before. Twice. She died both times. He's determined not to lose her again."

"At least he's come down off his cloud. Not so sad anymore."

"He's still sad. He's just got a new friend to take his mind off it for a while."

"Well, I still don't see why he feels so alone. He has the most amazing person in the universe travelling with him."

"But Mum doesn't… oh. You mean me." Lucy realised when she saw his face. "Well. I wouldn't say I'm the most amazing person in the universe. I believe that title goes to someone else."

"He is pretty special, isn't he? Mum was always saying… oh."

"See? Easy mistake to make."

"I've missed you."

"I missed you more. I was probably gone for longer."

"Maybe." Lucy could see his head moving closer. His lips…

* * *

Taking the few people on the bus's stance, let's pretend that they were in a different universe and not visible to anyone other than each other at that moment. In fairness, they both felt like they were in a different universe.


	54. Chapter 54

The Bells of Saint John. The bit in some stuff happens

* * *

They reached the café too late. The walking base station had uploaded Clara while disguised as the Doctor.

"Dad! Quick!"

He came running.

"I've just been talking to one of them. I'm not sure how. What's wrong?"

"They've got Clara."

* * *

"Really Doctor, a motorbike? Hardly seems like you," a man said. Lucy guessed it wasn't his voice. The Doctor had been determined to stop her coming, but she was sitting on the back of the motorbike anyway.

"I rode this in the antigrav Olympics in 2074. I came last."

"The building is in lock down, I'm afraid you're not coming in."

"Did you really just say that?" Lucy asked. "What part of antigrav don't you get?" The Doctor pressed a button and they rode up the side of the building. "UNIT is going to kill you. Poor Kate will have to explain this away."

"She'll work something out. Science leads, say it was an experiment."

"I don't think she can hear you."

"Doesn't need to. She'll think of it by herself." The Doctor reached for his pocket.

"Er, no thank you. You are driving, I will do the sonicking. Either that, or you let me drive."

"You are not driving."

"Fine. I'm sonicking." She pulled her sonic out of her pocket and pointed it at the glass. "Resonance frequency of double glazing is… quite high apparently."

They burst in through the window. The Doctor pushed the bike to one side, rolled forwards, stood up and straightened his bow tie. He went over to the desk and sat on it.

"Oh, very cool."

"Really?"

"No. Well, maybe a little bit."

"Ha! Hear that Amy, I am cool!"

"Er, Dad?"

"And you Rory and River, you said I wasn't actually cool either, Rory didn't believe me when I said the maths department was the cool department at university."

"Dad?"

"If they could see me now. Being called cool."

"Dad, you are aware that no one else can actually hear you, aren't you?"

"Of course. I am allowed to talk to myself. I'm cool."

"You just burst in through the window on a motorbike, did a forwards roll, stood up and straightened your bow tie. That is cool."

"I am cool."

"Occasionally."

The door opened. A woman walked in.

"Do come in."

"Download her."

"Sorry about the draught."

"Download her back into her body right now."

"I can't."

"Yes, you can."

"She's a fully integrated part of the data cloud now. She can't be separated."

"Then download the entire cloud, everyone you've trapped in there."

"You realise what would happen?"

"Yes, those with bodies to go home to would be free."

"A tiny number. Most would simply die."

"They'd be released from a living hell. It's the best you can do for them, so give the order."

"And why would I do that?"

"Because I'm going to motivate you, any second now."

"You ridiculous man."

"Got to agree with her there Dad."

"Why did you even come here? Whatever for?"

"I didn't."

"What?"

"I'm still in the café. I'm finishing my coffee. Lovely spot. You hack people, but me? I'm old fashioned. I hack technology. Here's your motivation." He took the helmet off to reveal the base station's head.

"No! Not me, not me!"

She was on the screen.

"I think it'll be fine now," Lucy said and picked up the motorbike and the sonic from the base station's pocket. "Thanks base station." It shut down. "Oh, helmet."

"This building is under UNIT control," a voice said from the next room.

"The outside route then." Lucy hopped on the motorbike, putting her helmet on as she drove it back out the window. "Now, where did he put the TARDIS?"

* * *

"Come in."

"So, they come back, do they?"

"You didn't answer my question."

"And I think I left my pen at your house."

"What question? And Lucy, go and find the pen."

"Thank you."

She went off, knowing that it was unlikely she would find it. She never did seem to find them.

After a few minutes of looking, Clara came back in.

"You not coming?"

"Maybe tomorrow."

"Nice. See you tomorrow. I might not be coming."

"Luke?"

"He's human, I'm Time Lord, it wouldn't work, Dad's done the same thing. I'll only lose him."

"Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. All of time and space, I'm sure he can't be that hard to find."

"I might go and stay with Uncle Sherlock and Uncle John for a bit. I know Merlin still lives downstairs, they never did give him my room. Or maybe Uncle Jack and I'm not sure if Grandpa Rory found a way to tell Great Grandpa Brian where he and Amy are. Someone should do that."

"Sherlock Holmes is your uncle?"

"It's a long story. In fact…" She ran out the house. The TARDIS door was open. "I'll be along later. I'm going to stay on Earth for a bit. You go ahead to tomorrow and pick Clara up. I'll see you then."

"The long way round Lucy?"

"I quite like the long way round. It's grown on me."

"See you soon."

"See you."

"And I think I need a chat with a certain young human, don't I?"

"Do not mention the Family of Blood. That was just scary. No threats."

"See you soon Lucy."

"Bye Dad."

* * *

They didn't know it at the time. Of course they didn't. But they do say great mind think alike, so it really is not surprise that, although separated by time and space, the Doctor and Lucy said the exact same thing.

"Right then Clara Oswald. Time to find out who you are."

* * *

**Author's Note: ****Ah, a life long ambition. The Doctor was finally called cool. Well, the base station was called cool, but he's probably taking it as a victory.**

**The maths department bit mentioned was from the Doctor Who novel, Touched by an Angel by Johnathan Morris. The Doctor talked about working in the maths department, which is the cool department and obviously Amy and Rory were laughing at him. Maybe not to him. But defiantly laughing. **

**And Lucy and Luke got away with themselves a bit there. Honestly. They're as bad as Merlin. He wanders off, she starts snogging boys. Well, that's what teenagers do I guess (some of them anyway) and she certainty feels around eighteen ish. Comes of growing up around humans. I don't see why characters can't just behave though. **


	55. Chapter 55

"Right. I'm back. What did you want to know?"

"Who you are."

"My name is Lucy Jane Song, I'm the Doctor's daughter. First one for a long time. Basically, his two best friends, Amy and Rory, had a daughter who was conceived in the TARDIS which gave her Time Lord abilities. Turned out she was my mother. But weird, knowing a woman as the wife of your best friend who meets him backwards, is actually your daughter, bit weirder when it turns out she was also your best friend growing up, knowing that her daughter is your granddaughter, it's enough to send anyone mad. Thankfully, Amy and Rory were used to weirdness.

"Because I was little, I was sent away to be safe, only, Dad's idea of safe is to use the Chameleon Arch to turn someone human then call in a favour from Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. Yes, those ones.

"When he came back stuff happened, but to give you a brief run through, Doctor Dad, Sherlock Holmes and John Watson adopted uncles, Merlin- yes the Merlin- basically an adopted uncle, was the midwife when I was born, lots more people you probably haven't heard of but are important to me as well. For being the last Time Lords, we have a huge family."

"So, does that make you half human? I'm guessing Amy and Rory were human."

"I don't think so, because Mum had Time Lord DNA from the time vortex. I think I'm a full Time Lord. If I'm not, Dad really is the last one."

"What happened to the others?"

"They died." Lucy didn't say anymore.

"What about Amy and Rory?"

"Another long story."

"All right." The door opened. "That'll be Angie. I guess you want to go and find Luke?"

"I might, yeah. See you tomorrow Clara."

Lucy walked out the door. The TARDIS had gone, but she didn't mind. She had the vortex manipulator so she could always find him again, and now she had Luke.

Brian first.

* * *

"Lucy?"

"Hi Great Grandpa Brian."

"I met Antony."

"I haven't yet. Who's Antony?"

"Amy and Rory's adopted son."

"So you know."

"Yes."

"I am so sorry Great Grandpa Brian."

"There was nothing you could do. I guess there's no way I can see them again."

"I don't know. I might be able to do something with the vortex manipulator, but it's going to take time."

"I trust you. Besides, you can travel in time. It could take you six hundred years and you'd be back here tomorrow."

"I was going to stay on Earth for a bit actually."

"Oh? I know that look. Is it a boy?" Lucy turned bright red. "Take that as a yes. Do I know him?"

"I don't know."

"All right. I guess if not, I'll meet him soon."

"Maybe."

"So, you off to see Sherlock and John?"

"I was heading that way. Just for a day."

"I see. Well, see you soon Lucy."

"See you soon Great Grandpa Brian."

Lucy left and went on her way. She knocked on the door to Baker Street and Mrs Hudson opened it.

"Lucy!"

"Hello Mrs Hudson."

"Gosh you've grown. Not sixteen anymore?"

"Eighteen."

"Good grief. Well, if you want to go up, I have no idea where Sherlock or Merlin are, but John's at work. He said he'd be coming back, they've got a case."

"Merlin's helping on a case?"

"Oh yes. Quite clever that Merlin. Good with the forensics."

"Is it chemistry or magic?"

"Little bit of both I think. Did you know there was still magical creatures wandering round causing trouble? Some of those cases Sherlock couldn't solve were actually caused by them."

"It did seem strange they would all just leave. That actually makes a lot of sense."

"Well, Merlin's sorted most of them out. He's such a gentleman. Lovely boy."

"Mrs Hudson, you are aware that, even though he looks like he's in his twenties, he's actually about a thousand years old?"

"Yes."

"I'll wait upstairs."

"Why don't you hide in your room? It's still the same. Just leave your boots here, surprise them. Sherlock might not pay attention to them and I know full well that John occasionally thinks he's seen your boots by the door. Then just casually stroll down, nod, walk downstairs and out the front door while they're eating."

"Mrs Hudson. That sounds both evil and fantastic. I'll be in my room."


	56. Chapter 56

**Author's Note: "Time isn't a straight line, it's all bumpy-wumpy. There's loads of boring stuff like Sundays and Tuesdays and Thursday afternoons. But now and then there are Saturdays, big temporal tipping points where anything is possible." ~ The Eleventh Doctor, The Impossible Astronaut (written by Steven Moffat).**

**Today, my friends, is a Saturday. (Specifically Saturday 1st March 2014). I love Saturdays. The one day you can get away with not doing any homework.  
**

* * *

Sherlock was pleased. They'd solved yet another case. Not the strange disappearances, a murder. He'd had a feeling the disappearances were linked and everything seemed sorted now, clearly the Doctor had been around. He wished he'd come for a visit. He wished even more that Lucy had come to visit. He missed his little niece. She was like a daughter. John had his own baby now, William. He'd insisted Merlin had chosen it as it was the name of his best friend from when he was a boy, but Sherlock had told him his name. William Sherlock Scott Holmes. Just like John had when he'd implied something when Sherlock and The Woman were talking. John was coming over later for dinner. It was nice to still have his friend. Besides, Merlin was downstairs, so he wasn't alone. Didn't stop him missing Lucy.

He sat in his chair and slept. He hadn't slept for the last three days. He'd been working. John would be cross.

"Sherlock!"

Gosh, was it that time already?

"John's here Sherlock!"

"I can hear that Mrs Hudson." Sherlock got up and stood at the top of the stairs. "Hello John."

"Hello Sherlock. When was the last time you slept?"

"Just now."

"Oh good. Hi Merlin."

"Hi John. Doing well?"

"Very thanks. Mary's coming later, she's just trying to find another babysitter."

"Bring William here. You trust me enough to make me his godfather, but not enough to bring him round for dinner?" Sherlock said.

"All right. I'll send her a message." Merlin came upstairs, followed by John. He paused. "Sherlock, are these your shoes?"

"Of course not John, I don't wear boots. Merlin does, maybe they're his."

"Maybe." John followed Merlin upstairs. He ran back downstairs. The boots had gone. "Weird. I must be seeing things."

Mrs Hudson smirked in the kitchen, Lucy's boots sitting by the table.

* * *

There was a noise from upstairs. John stood up.

"Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"A noise from upstairs."

"What, the attic?"

"That's where Lucy's room is. Hang on. I'll be back."

"John, sit down," Mary said. "Help me with William."

"I'll help Mary. Let John do his investigating."

"Thank you Merlin."

"Right. I'll be back."

"Maybe I should go with him. Just to make sure he doesn't shoot anything."

"That would be a good idea Sherlock."

The two of them took off, stopping on the stairs.

"You saw boots, now you hear a noise. Maybe you're dreaming John."

"But we know the Doctor was in London yesterday. All those things that happened and there was a disappearing and reappearing police box by the Thames."

"So why should that mean anything? It could be a past version."

"Maybe it's not." John opened the door.

"Evening both."

* * *

Lucy smiled at them. John looked like he wanted to shoot her.

"How long have you been here?"

"Couple of hours."

"And you didn't notice?"

"I was asleep. You said I need sleep. Then you got here."

"You thought you'd hide up here and scare the bejesus out of us?"

"In fairness, it was Mrs Hudson's idea."

"How old are you Lucy?"

"Eighteen. Just."

"So we missed your eighteenth."

"I'm not human Uncle John. We don't become an adult at eighteen."

"When do you become adults?"

"Don't know. Could be three hundred. I've never actually asked. Judging by Dad, we never grow up, but I think that's just him."

"Tell you what. We'll celebrate your twentieth. Just to be different. You make sure you're here."

"I was going to stay on Earth for a bit now actually. Dad has a new companion. Clara. But only on Wednesdays."

"Sounds nice."

"She is."

"Good. Any reason you're staying on Earth?" Lucy didn't say anything. "We know what happened to Amy and Rory. It isn't them Lucy. You seem happy though. Very happy."

"Can't you see anything Sherlock? She's in love."

* * *

**Author's Note: And now we leave Lucy for a couple of months to enjoy some time with her family and a certain Luke Smith. Never fear- the Doctor shall return in...**

**Spoilers.**


	57. Chapter 57

**Author's Note: I looked at the story to find out which chapter I needed to put up today a second ago. 7,142 views. I had to check that three times because I didn't believe it. Whether that sounds like a lot to anyone else, I was expecting no more than 50 when I first put it up. And that was being highly optimist. So, wow. I thank everyone who has read, followed, favourited and reviewed.**

**So here you go, a new chapter, taking place a few months after the last one. **

**Writing credits for A Nightmare in Silver go to Neil Gaiman**

* * *

A Nightmare in Silver (well, a bit of it anyway)

* * *

"You can't do this anymore."

"I want to. I want to stay with you."

"Every time I look at you, you're fidgeting. You want to be up and about, roaming the universe, fixing things, fighting monsters. You need to go back to him."

"Will you come?"

"I can't. Clyde, Rani, Sky…"

"It will be like you've never left."

"I can't go without them. How will you get to him with someone else? You haven't sorted the vortex manipulator out yet."

"He goes to Clara's every Wednesday."

"It's Thursday. You can't wait a week. You need to do something now."

"I'll come back."

"Of course you will." He kissed her. "But you can't. I know what the Doctor's like. He loses humans and just losing as many friends as he does is hard. We can't keep this up."

"What if I turn human?"

"Sorry Lucy. You're a Time Lord. I'm a human."

"What if I come back once a year, only, for you it's once a day?"

"Lucy." Luke shook his head. "You know what they say. If you love something, let them go."

"But I don't want to go."

"Yes you do. It's who you are. You are just like the Doctor and I know how sad he gets. Lucy, please. Live life in the universe before living it with me."

"Maybe come back in my final regeneration and stay with you?"

"The regeneration will last longer than me. I'm sorry Lucy. I love you."

"I love you too. I will see you again."

"I don't doubt it. I'll wait."

"No, find your own life. Make it a good one. Live each day like your last, because one day, it will be."

"The answer to life, the universe and everything is enjoy yourself is it?"

"No, it's forty two."

"So what's the question?"

"I don't know. Forty two words beginning with L that show how you should live life? Erm, what would that be? Erm, love, learn, laugh, live, erm, literature, erm, lunch, lettuce, lunch, so important it had to be said twice, erm, leprechauns, no, I've got nothing."

"The first four worked."

"And lunch. Can't forget lunch."

"How hungry are you?"

"Very."

"Fancy a sandwich before you go?"

"Sounds good."

* * *

Lucy arrived on the planet that the TARDIS was on somewhere. She heard some noises.

"What on Earth are you doing?"

"Lucy? Why are you here?"

"Looking for you."

"Ah, so this is the famous Lucy Jane Song. There's a lot about you in here."

"Dad?"

"No, I'm the Cyber-planner. Mr Clever."

"Right. Is there a reason you're in my dad's head?"

"Cyberman things Lucy."

"You're playing chess."

"For control of my head."

"Right. You'd better win Dad."

"All right."

"You should leave. You're only going to distract him. He can't risk losing. Oh no wait, maybe you should stay."

"No. See you later Dad. By the way, you know what you've got in your pocket don't you?"

"Bye Lucy. Take care." Lucy walked out.

"Oh, hi Clara."

"Lucy? What are you doing here?"

"Looking for Dad. Please don't shoot him."

"Why would we shoot him?"

"See for yourself."

Clara walked in and the Doctor started talking to her. Lucy noticed he'd stuck the gold ticket to his head. Lucy noticed a man standing at the back.

"Do I know you?"

"I don't think so ma'am."

"Please don't call me ma'am. I'm Lucy." She stuck her hand out for him to shake. "And you are?"

"Ha-ha."

"Do you know a Craig Owens Ha-ha?"

"The one who met the Doctor and defeated the Cybermen? He's my ancestral grandfather. Why?"

"I knew you looked familiar. Bit weird talking to you when the last time I saw Stormy, I mean Alfie, he was three, but time travel. I guess you get used to it."

"You know them?"

"Course I do."

"Who are you exactly?"

"I'm the Doctor's daughter, Lucy Jane Song."

"Oh wow. There are stories in our family about you."

"Please don't tell me any. I don't want to know about my future."

"All right."

"So, what are you doing here?"

"My family have stories. I've heard stories about the Cybermen since I was in my cradle and one always stood out. The one about how Craig Owens defeated them with love."

"Well, more the instinct to protect one's young Dad said, but love sounds better. Good old Alfie, picking the exact moment to cry which helped. I wasn't there before you ask, but even Time Lords sometimes need a bedtime story before they can sleep and even though I'm eighteen in human years, that's like weeks to a Time Lord. I've kind of grown up at human pace, but I spect I'll stop now. Until I reach three hundred or whenever it was and become a grown up."

They had somehow reached outside, where they were defending the castle against attack.

"We're going to lose."

"Now we're not Ha-ha. There's always a plan and there's always hope. That's what we've got. Craig may have defeated the Cybermen with love, we're doing it with hope and the Doctor's plan which, if he hasn't worked out yet, I am more than willing to supply."

"Then go and tell him," Clara said. "If you have a plan, tell him."

"All right. But I think he'll work it out too."

Lucy ran back inside. The Doctor was tied to a chair, playing chess.

"Your move. But, before you take it, just so you know, sacrificing my queen was the best possible move I could have made. The Time Lords invented chess. It's our game and if you don't avoid my trap it gives me game in three moves."

"How?"

Lucy looked at the board. _Yes, how Dad? _There were not three moves that would give him checkmate. That meant he had a plan.

"Three moves. Want to know what they are?"

"You're lying."

"Course he's not. Watch. Step one," Lucy began.

"Turn on sonic screwdriver. Step two."

"Activate pulser. Step three."

"Amplify pulser. Three moves."

"That's cheating."

"Just taking advantage of the local resources."

"Besides, it was only a matter of time before I did it."

"Ah, hello." Clara, Ha-ha and another person came in. "Can someone untie me please?"

"Do you think I'm pretty?"

"No. You're two short and bossy and your nose is all funny."

"Good enough."

"Well, I think you're pretty Clara."

"Thank you Lucy. What happened to the Cyber-planner?"

"Out of my head and redistributed across three million Cybermen."

"Who are about to kill us, so instead of explaining, I vote running."

"Or we could destroy the planet."

"Or that. Voice activation?"

"It was registered to the Captain's voice," Ha-ha said.

"I think you should ask Porridge," the girl, Angie, said. Lucy looked at her.

"Why?" Clara asked.

"Well, he is the Emperor. I bet he knows the activation codes." Everyone else looked at her blankly, but Lucy smiled. She knew he looked familiar. "Oh come on, it's obvious. He looks exactly like he does on the coin and on the waxwork, except they made him a bit taller, but look, am I the only one paying attention here?"

"You are full of surprises. Porridge?"

"She's right."

Lucy looked at the girl. She was clever. Maybe she'd like to meet Uncle Sherlock.

They were transported to a ship.

"Oh yeah. Nice ship. Bit big. Not blue enough."

"Really?"

"Listen, there is a large blue box at coordinates six ultra nineteen P. I need it transmatted up here right away."

"Right," Porridge said. "Did you get that?"

Everyone was talking after the planet exploded. Lucy was pretty sure Clara had just had a proposal. They went back to the TARDIS. It felt good to be home.

"Thank you for having me. It was very interesting," Artie, the boy, said.

"My pleasure. Thank you for coming."

"He doesn't often have other kids around. Just me. Well, he is a giant kid, but other than that."

"Now," the Doctor turned to Angie. "I've got something for you. It's not from me, it's from the TARDIS. Ah. New phone."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome."

"Sorry I said this box was stupid."

"Bye."

"Byes. Thanks Clara."

"Thanks Clara's boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?"

"No Lucy. Just their mistake."

"Right."

"Thank you Doctor."

"For what?"

"Kid's day out. Getting us off the planet alive."

"He's good at that. Staying alive. Moriaty should have taken some lessons. Solve his final problem easy. Neither boring nor hard. Well, it's sometimes hard. But never boring."

"For whatever you were doing with the Cybermen. Good night. See you next Wednesday."

"Well, a Wednesday definatly. Next Wednesday, last Wednesday." Clara left. "One of the Wednesdays, Impossible Girl. A mystery wrapped in an enigma squeezed into a skirt that's just a little bit too tight. What are you?"

"Nice to know everyone pays such rapt attention to me when I speak."

"So Lucy, why are you here?"

"Luke said I was bored. I tried, Dad, I really tried. But I think we broke up."

"I'm still not entirely happy about you dating in the first place."

"I grew up at human speed Dad. Oh, I promised Uncle John and Uncle Sherlock I would spend my twentieth birthday with them."

"Fine by me."

"I also promised Great Grandpa Brian that I would try and extend the vortex manipulator so I could take him to see Grandpa Rory and Grandma Amy one last time."

"I have a better idea. We bring everyone in the TARDIS and go and find the Ponds for one day."

"Isn't that dangerous?"

"As long as they don't travel through time and I don't bring them home, it's fine."

"Right. Roll on two years."

* * *

**Author's Note: Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy reference! Got to love Douglas Adams. A trilogy of five. Plus some Fourth Doctor adventures to add to his name as well as the Doctor having read Hitchhicker's. **

**Oh, it's brilliant.**

**And the Doctor is willing to take Lucy to see the Ponds again, yay! **


	58. Chapter 58

Obviously, two years flies by if you spend that time watching a pair of boys grow up and helping them in life. Alfie and Michael knew Lucy was going back to a point before. They understood the spoilers. They just wanted to have fun. Plus there was some saving the universe in there too.

Lucy turned twenty the day after she watched her two friends take off for space. Time to go back.

"Dad?"

"Yes Lucy?"

"You know you said when I turned twenty we would do that thing?"

"A year ago, yes."

"Well, I've spent some time outside the TARDIS as well. Fancy going on a trip?"

"London it is. Who are we picking up first?"

"Uncle Sherlock and Uncle John, obviously, with William and Mary. Merlin and Mrs Hudson will be there too. Maybe even Molly and Greg? Uncle Jack. Great Grandpa Brian. Martha, Mickey and Michael. Craig, Sophie and Alfie. Luke, Clyde, Rani and Sky. Wilf. Can you think of anyone else? Clara maybe?"

"Come on then. To London we go."

* * *

Lucy opened the door to the TARDIS. She stepped out into the living room of 221B.

"Dad, I think you should have landed outside then knocked."

"I got us here. Just be glad the date might be right."

"Slightly put off by the might there."

Someone walked into the room.

"Lucy? I swear you only left last week. How old are you?"

"Twenty today Uncle John."

"You remembered then. Is there a reason you came so soon after you left to find your dad?"

"Ask him, I didn't pilot the TARDIS."

"Fair enough, he probably couldn't get the date right."

"Course I got the date right. Give it three, two, one." There was a knock at the door. John went to answer it and Greg and Molly walked up the stairs.

"Hi John. We were sent letters telling us to be here at this exact point?"

"Right. Doctor, what did you do?"

"Saved some time and got everyone to come here. Told you I got the date right."

"When did you do this?"

"Last night. I think it was last night. Could have been last week."

"You've had this planned for months, haven't you."

"Months? No Lucy, years. Today was the day I was going to come back. Today would have been, from your point of view, the ninth anniversary of having to stay on Earth."

"You were going to leave me here for nine years?"

"You would be turning sixteen. That's safe enough. Also, I was going to die."

"Fine. No more excuses. Did you have the letters written and everything?"

"Well, I had to write a few more. For example-" There was another knock and Sherlock came up the stairs with Craig, Sophie and a little Alfie. Considering what she'd just seen, it seemed a little disconcerting to Lucy seeing him so little again. Next up came Mickey and Martha with Michael, Brian, Luke, Clyde and Rani. Mrs Hudson was already downstairs with Mary and William, with just left them waiting on Sherlock and Merlin.

"Where are they?"

"Not on a case," John said. "Not even a magical one."

"They aren't even in the basement or at a lab doing experiments?"

"Not as far as I'm aware."

The window opened and someone jumped in.

"Good grief. Ah, Lucy, I thought I might find you here. I take it this is why you sent the invites Doctor? Going back to find the Ponds?"

"How did you know? Some clever deductive stuff?"

"No, it said on the letter."

"Oh."

"How did you get up to the window?" Lucy asked.

"It's a long story," Merlin answered, coming in behind Sherlock. "We only went out to get you a birthday present."

"So what did you do?"

"Dragon stuff. Don't worry. There's no dragons anymore."

"That sucks."

"Anyway, we saw Jack Doctor."

"Really? I was going to meet him in Cardiff."

"Well, he came here."

"Oh well. Nice to see him again."

"Nice to see you to Doctor." Jack clambered in through the window.

"Please don't flirt with anyone."

"Why do you always assume I'm flirting?"

"Because ninety nine point nine recurring percent of the time you are."

"Fair enough. So how are you, birthday girl?"

"Brilliant thanks Uncle Jack."

"Good. So Doc, where are we off to now?"

"Don't call me Doc. That's not a cool name. We're going to find Clara. Somewhere in the future, a couple of months maybe, so we don't cross our own time streams."

"All right. Everyone into the TARDIS," Sherlock gestured to the blue box.

"We're not all going to fit in there," Molly said.

"You'll be surprised Molly." Sherlock smiled. Everyone else headed in until they were the only two left in the living room with Lucy. "Come on. It'll be fun."

"What is that box? How is everyone inside it? Sherlock, who are all these people?"

"They're my friends Molly. My friends and Lucy's family."

"I don't understand."

"Now you sound like Uncle John. That man, the strange one with the bow tie, is my father. He's called the Doctor. He's a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey in the constellation of Kasterborous."

"So what does that make you?"

"It's complicated. My mother's parents were human, but she had Time Lord DNA. As far as we're aware, that makes me a Time Lord."

"But you're Lucy. You can't be an alien."

"Well, I wasn't, Dad used the Chameleon Arch. Like I said, it's complicated."

"That man, the one you said was called the Doctor, he spoke like he could travel in time."

"Molly, just jump inside the box and all will become clear." Molly looked up at Sherlock. He was nodding.

"You think it's safe?"

"I would trust the Doctor with my life."

"Then I'll come." Molly followed Lucy into the TARDIS. "It's, it's-"

"Please say it, I love it when people say it."

"It's bigger on the inside."

"Thank you. I love it when people say it. Clara didn't. She said it was smaller on the outside then asked if there was a kitchen. Speaking of Clara." He flipped a switch. _Vwoorp, Vwoorp. _Molly looked around as the doors opened.

"I got your note. You sure Angie and Artie can come too?"

"It'll be safe. I know all these people. If anything does happen, these are the people who deal with it."

"Come on then you two."

Molly still couldn't believe her eyes. They had actually moved.

"Rory didn't say it either. He just looked around a bit then said it was another dimension before I could explain that it's another dimension. Brian didn't say anything, he just looked around a bit."

"Do I want to know?" Clara asked.

"He's talking about the people that said that the TARDIS is bigger on the inside."

"I see. Introductions Lucy?"

"Right. Everyone this is Clara. Clara, this is…" Lucy proceeded to introduce everyone. Molly didn't move.

"Are you all right?"

"Sherlock, she's in shock. And who wouldn't be?" John said.

"You're in shock? Do you need a blanket?"

"I'm fine thank you Sherlock."

The door opened again.

"Hi Mum. Who do I need to introduce?"

A woman with frizzy hair was standing there. Molly felt out of place. All the other girls seemed to be in dresses, except Lucy who was in her trousers and shirt as usual. Molly was still in her lab coat. She'd run from work before she was late.

"I think you look beautiful," Sherlock whispered in her ear. She blushed. "You don't need to be in a dress Molly Hooper."

He walked off to talk to someone. Lucy came over.

"Molly, this is Clara and this is my mother, River Song."

"It's a pleasure Molly," River said, holding out her hand. "Lucy speaks of you often. I believe you used to let her play in your lab?"

"Not with anything dangerous," Molly said hurriedly.

"She used to love it." Molly relaxed. River wasn't cross with her. Any other mother might have been knowing that an eight year old played with various chemicals in a lab in a morgue.

"Hello," Clara said. "It's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet the both of you as well."

"I'm sure we'll see each other again," River smiled.

"You've met Molly before Mum?"

"Spoilers Lucy."

"Oh right."

"They don't meet in the right order," Clara explained. "Lucy told me about it once."

"I see. Downside of time travel I guess."

"Yeah. So who else have you met? Is that Sherlock Holmes?"

"Yes, he works with me sometimes."

"Oh wow. I love his work. Never needed a case solving though so I've never had an excuse to come and meet him."

"He uses my lab sometimes. I'm the only one that will let him do some of his experiments. Most of his experiments."

"Think you could introduce me?"

"Sure." Molly walked over to Sherlock. "Sherlock, this is Clara."

"The Doctor's newest companion. I hear there's a mystery surrounding you."

"What?"

"I'll let the Doctor explain. Aliens is his department."

"I'm not an alien."

"Unless your mystery involves kidnapping, homicides or similar, I can't help you. Well, maybe, but ask the Doctor first. Unless your problem involves magic, in which case ask Merlin."

"Merlin?"

"Yes Molly, Merlin. As in, warlock from Arthurian legend. That one."

"Not the one that lives downstairs in 221C?"

"Same one."

"You mean to say, you had an alien in your attic and a legendary warlock in your basement and never mentioned it."

"It never came up in conversation. Why would you need to know?"

"It would have been nice Sherlock. I get why you wouldn't have told me about Lucy, you were keeping her safe, but Merlin can obviously keep himself safe, he's been doing it for years. He's been in my lab. You introduced us briefly. We've talked."

"Molly, would you have believed it?"

"If it came from your mouth. You don't make up things like that."

"Well, next time I promise I will tell you."

Molly smiled at him. She knew she still liked him. If only he felt the same way, but then he wouldn't be Sherlock Holmes.

The door opened again. Two people walked in. Molly frowned. Was that Greg? No, he was over there. So who…

"Riddell, Neffy, you made it!"

"Doctor, Lucy. Good to see you again."

"Let me introduce you," Lucy said. "Lots of people."

"That man- he looks like me."

"This is Greg Lestrade. He's your great grandson." All three of them were speechless.

"Your great grandmother is Queen Nefertiti?" Brian asked. "Blimey."

"Last stop," the Doctor announced. "Guess who?" He stuck his head out the door.

Molly stared at the three new people. One seemed to be a Victorian maid, but the other two…

"Molly, this is Madam Vastra, her wife Jenny and their butler Strax," Sherlock said.

"She's a lizard."

"Silurian. They were around on Earth before humans."

"And he's a potato."

"Sontaran. A good one. Don't get many of them."

"Sherlock. This is the strangest day of my life."

"You should feel it's one of the best. You're important. Not just to me, but to Lucy. These people are her closest friends and family. She considers you family."

"She's a sweet girl, but we aren't that close?"

"Maybe she wants to be. You were close when she was little."

"But she's grown up."

"No she hasn't Molly. Time Lords live longer and so are children for longer. She might look like she's grown up, but inside, she's still a little girl and, knowing her dad, she will be forever."

"Did you know who Greg's great grandparents were?"

* * *

**Author's Note: I wonder if the reason Lucy asked Molly was, not just because she's a friend, but because she's still trying to set her and Sherlock up. I told you Lucy. I'm not writing that. Bad enough you and Luke snogged. Stop trying to make me write romantic stuff! Adventures are cooler!**

**Also, a short message to reality. You need more dragons. Everything is better with dragons. Except a wooden house or an anti-sorcery King of Camelot. Dragons are cool. **


	59. Chapter 59

This was getting too much for Lucy. She couldn't believe there were so many people here. She sat on the TARDIS console in shock.

"We'll be there in a tick. Give me two minutes."

The TARDIS landed. Lucy opened the door.

"Bit late," a voice laughed. "We've discussed the irony of Time Lords who can't keep track of time already, haven't we?"

"Grandpa Rory!" She leapt into his arms. "I've missed you."

"Missed you too little Lucy. How did the TARDIS get here and- hello."

"Hello."

"I am so sorry."

"It's not your fault. If anything, it's mine."

Lucy turned around to see who Rory was talking to. Brian was standing just outside the TARDIS.

"How could it possibly be your fault?"

"I let you go."

"It was our choice Dad. We left. Believe me. If I hadn't been touched by that Angel…"

"Then it would have been something else."

Lucy left the two Williams to talk. Amy was in the kitchen.

"Grandma Amy!"

"Lucy! How are you?"

"Brilliant thanks Grandma Amy. Come and see this."

Lucy led Amy into the living room.

"Oh my-"

"Hello Amelia Pond."

"Raggedy Man. How?"

"You created fixed time. I couldn't come and get you. You have to stay here."

"I know. But I thought you said you could never come back."

"Rule number one Mum. The Doctor lies."

"Melody?"

"It's me."

"How are you both here?"

"I said I couldn't see you again because I thought I couldn't. I didn't think I would be able to see you without bringing you home. It would be too painful. But this is for Lucy. She was going to bring Brian anyway. I just gave her and some friends a lift."

"Friends?"

"Come into the TARDIS Amelia."

"I never thought you would be saying that again."

"Saying what? Come along Ponds?" Lucy saw the tears he was holding back, despite his smile.

"Rory, we're needed."

"Hello River."

"Hi Dad."

"We're going into the TARDIS?"

"As long as we don't travel anywhere, it should be fine and it's not the first time he's rewritten fixed points," Lucy said.

"I was dying."

"Time Lord Victorious?"

"I was very upset and that was the last regeneration anyway."

"Still you."

"He was a bit more grown up than me."

"I can believe that. A fifteen year old can act more grown up than you."

"Come along then Ponds. Come and meet everyone."

"I think it's just Clara, Angie and Artie they don't know Dad. Everyone else they've met. Molly and Greg were at Uncle John's wedding as well."

"Oh."

"And technically they've met Clara too. Just the Dalek version, not this version."

"You replaced us with a Dalek?"

"I could never replace you. But she's died twice and here she is. The Impossible Girl. You know how I love a mystery."

"Come on then. Family day."

* * *

Lucy slept that night. As a Time Lord, she didn't need to sleep as much as she had when she was living with Sherlock and John. Even the Doctor slept that night after they'd dropped everyone back home. Everyone was exhausted. Lucy fell asleep knowing that she would remember that day for the rest of her life, however long that was. Millennia could pass and she didn't think she would ever have a better day. Her family, both by blood and her adopted extended family and her friends all in the TARDIS. So what if they hadn't gone anywhere in particular, they'd just had dinner and maybe there were a couple of people missing, but she was with the people that mattered the most to her. She couldn't believe it. It must have been an elaborate dream, but most of her life seemed like a dream. A Time Lord? Really? She was just the strange girl that lived with that detective bloke and his blogger. This couldn't be real. Not only had she found a family, she'd found the best family in the universe, one that quite literally spanned time and space. So what it was a strange, there was a mix of random people that wouldn't normally have met. It was perfect.

Lucy had no idea how long she'd slept for when she went back into the console room. The Doctor was standing there, flicking switches, just playing.

"I think that might be it Luce."

"What do you mean?"

"I was talking to your mother. From the sounds of it, I won't see her again. Not with this face at least. I know that I can never see Amy and Rory again. Just when I get a family, I'm losing it again."

"You've got me. You'll always have me."

"And I wouldn't have it any other way. Come on then. Where to next?"

"I don't know. What day is it?"

"What day do you want it to be?"

"I think it feels like a Wednesday."

* * *

**Author's Note: The last chapter broke 2000 words (just). Didn't know I could write that much. **

**Thanks to all for reading, following, favouriting and reviewing! **


	60. Chapter 60

**Author's Note: No more River and no more Ponds for the Doctor. :( On the bright side, Lucy's still got a chance to go and see them. **

**Writing Credits for The Name of The Doctor go to Steven Moffat. **

**Also there's a Charles Dickens quote. Charles Dickens wrote that bit.**

* * *

The Name of the Doctor

* * *

It had been a good few months before _that _day happened. The one Lucy remembered as being the most scared she had ever been. She thought she was going to lose everyone.

It started at Clara's house. The Doctor was playing Blind Man's Bluff with Angie and Artie, but Lucy suspected he was doing very badly. She was sitting with Clara, waiting for her to wake up.

"Hi Lucy."

"Hi Clara."

"Doctor, what are you doing?"

"Oh, Mr Maitland went next door, so I said I'd look after the kids. They wanted to go to the cinema, but I said no, not until you woke up. I was very firm."

"Very firm." Lucy tried to hold back her giggles.

"At which point they suggested Blind Man's Bluff."

"Yes. Where are they?"

"I think that's cheating Dad." Clara took the blindfold off him.

"They're at the cinema."

"The little Daleks."

"Are you all right Clara? You look like you need a good cuppa."

"I just spoke to Vastra."

* * *

Clara explained everything.

"I'm so glad you let me come on your little birthday trip Lucy. Otherwise I would have had no idea who River was."

"Wouldn't have been right without you there."

"What did Vastra say exactly? The exact words."

"The Doctor has a secret he will take to the grave. It is discovered. Doctor? What does it mean?"

"It was Trenzalore? Defiantly Trenzalore?"

"Yeah."

"Oh dear. Sorry." He ran off.

"Lucy, what was wrong with him? He looked upset."

"I don't know. But I have a bad feeling."

* * *

"Trenzalore. I've heard the name, Dorium mentioned it and a few others. Always suspected what it was, but never really wanted to find out. River would know though. River always knew. Right you, come here. Give me your hand."

"Why?"

"The coordinates you saw will still be in your memory."

"He's going to link you to the TARDIS telepathic circuit, retrieve the coordinates and send her there."

"Won't hurt a bit."

"Ow!"

"Rule number one."

"So what is Trenzalore? Is that your big secret?"

"The man said there is a secret you will take to your grave. He wasn't talking about discovering your secret was he."

"No."

"He was talking about your grave."

"How can you have a grave?"

"Because we all do, somewhere out there. Waiting for us."

"You can't go there. You must never go there," Lucy warned.

"I have to save Vastra and Strax. Jenny too if I still can. They cared for me during the worst of times. Never questioned me, never judged me, looked after Lucy. They were just kind. I owe them, I have a duty. No point in telling you it's too dangerous. Lucy, you on the other hand, are staying here."

"No, I'm not. It's more dangerous for you than me."

"How can we save them?"

"By breaking into my tomb."

The TARDIS shook as he tried to land her.

"What's that?"

"She knows where he wants to take her and she doesn't like it. She's fighting. This could cause the biggest paradox he's ever made. You might want to hold onto something." Lucy gripped the handrail while the other two went flying. "Told you. It's all right old girl," she whispered to the TARDIS. "It's all right. I'll make sure he's safe. Please."

The TARDIS shut down.

"Now what?"

"She really doesn't want to be here. She's shut down. It's all right old girl."

"So, we aren't there."

"We must be close," the Doctor said. He opened the door. "So that's where I end up. Always thought I'd retire. Take up water colours or bee keeping or something."

"Didn't Uncle Sherlock say one day he'd retire and take up bee keeping?"

"We can retire together. With Merlin too."

"How could you retire? Who would be the universe's hero?"

"Well, I can think of one Time Lord who could do the job. If she's up for it."

"Not for a long time yet I hope."

"I hope not Lucy."

"So, how do we get down there? Jump?"

"Don't be silly Clara. We fall." He headed back inside the TARDIS.

"Please don't. Please."

"What's he doing?"

"Turning off the last thing she left on. Please Dad. Don't. We can climb or we can-"

"This is the only way Lucy."

"What's he doing Lucy?"

"Turning off the anti-gravs."

* * *

Lucy was shaking. She hated heights. She'd seen Sherlock fall, Amy and Rory fall, everyone always fell. She'd prayed for no more falling, but it clearly hadn't worked.

"Oops."

"You broke her! You made us fall and then broke her!"

"It's just a window Lucy."

"That's not what's wrong Doctor. Come on. You okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"You're visiting your own grave. Anyone would be scared."

"It's more than that. I'm a time traveller. My grave is potentially the most dangerous place in the universe. Shall we?"

"The gravestones are a bit basic."

"It's a battlefield graveyard. My final battle."

"Why are some of them bigger?"

"They're soldiers. The bigger the gravestone, the bigger the rank."

"It's a hell of a monument."

"It's the TARDIS."

"I can see that."

"No, it's the actual TARDIS," Lucy said. "She's dying. Her outside's catching up with her inside."

The Doctor walked away.

"Lucy? What's wrong?"

"He said earlier they helped him through the dark times."

"So?"

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way."

"What?"

"A Tale of Two Cities. It's about the contrast between the England and France in the seventeen hundreds, at the start of the French Revolution. It works for him. The spring of hope, that's the time he spent with Amy and Rory. The winter of despair, that's after he lost them. Then you came along and made everything better. But he knows one day, you'll leave. Everyone always leaves. Oh, maybe it's not always voluntarily, but it always happens and it breaks his heart. He is the immortal saviour of the universe, only, he's not. We're visiting his grave. One day, he will die, just like a man. And it scares him. He doesn't know what will happen."

"We were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way."

"Exactly."

"He's a good man."

"But some of the choices he's had to make, the things he's done- it scares him. He doesn't know for certain what will happen and it scares him. Scares me too. I hope there's something, simply so I can see my family and friends again. I hope he finds something. There must be hundreds of people waiting for him."

"Do you believe in miracles Lucy?"

"Of course. I stand in marvel at the beauty of the universe, in awe of the miracle that is life. Look at it. There is an infinitesimally small chance of life existing and an even smaller chance of you being born. All the different factors that come into play. And if one thing, just one thing, had been done differently, neither of us would be standing here. If your ancestor had caught the Black Death, like about a third of Europe's population. If Genghis Khan had killed one more person. If that little mammal hadn't been fast enough to run away from that dinosaur. Against all the odds, that happened. And then two people met and those particular gametes were fertilised and despite everything, that embryo grew and that person had those specific experiences. You are unique in the whole of time and space, there is no one quite like you and there never will be because all those things happened. And if that doesn't make you feel special, I don't know what will."

"You have wisdom beyond your years."

"Nope. Religious Studies lessons at school. Never thought they would ever come in useful. Had a question once that asked if life was a miracles. How could it possibly not be?"

"What are you trying to do?"

"Something will happen here today Clara. Something bad. You need to be ready. This is Doctor number eleven. There's a limit of thirteen and every time he regenerates, it feels like dying. One day I will. We all live, we all die and everything ends. All these thoughts are going through his head. He knows his time will come, maybe sooner than he hopes. This could give away his entire life. Clara please. Look after him."

"Why me?"

"Because you are his friend." Clara turned around. She had heard footsteps behind her.

"Clara. Don't speak, don't say my name. They can't see or hear me, only you can. We're mentally linked, it's the conference call, I kept the line open."

Lucy saw Clara talking and wandered towards the Doctor.

"What were you talking about with Clara?"

"Nothing really."

"It sounded clever."

"Everything always sounds clever if you use enough big words, doesn't mean it is."

"Who are you talking to?" He called back to Clara. "River."

"What?"

Lucy followed his eyes to the gravestone.

"That can't be right."

"No, it can't."

"She's not dead."

"Oh, she's dead I'm afraid. She's been dead for a very long time." Lucy tried to hold back the tears while the two spoke. She thought she saw a woman out of the corner of her eyes, but couldn't quite make it out.

Lucy blinked. The grave had opened.


	61. Chapter 61

The Name of The Doctor. The part in which there is a Merlin quote right at the very beginning

* * *

"Where are we?"

"Catacombs."

"I hate catacombs."

"Really?" Lucy asked. "I wouldn't be seen dead anywhere else."

"That's appropriate timing Lucy."

"I learnt from Merlin. He taught me all the things to say to lighten the mood. That was one of them."

"Any others?"

"Plenty, but now isn't the time."

"So how come River's dead if she was talking to us the other week?"

"Time travel. That was the last time Dad could see her, there are no more days. The first time they met she died."

"Sounds confusing."

"So does life."

Clara zoned out for a minute, like she was listening to someone.

"Clara, Lucy, come on, run, run!"

* * *

They were in.

"Yowzah."

"I thought you were never going to say that word again?"

"Still a bit of a climb," the Doctor continued, ignoring Lucy. Something was wrong with Clara. Lucy stayed back, ready to catch her if she fell, while the Doctor spoke.

"What do you mean I died?"

"The girl who died he tried to save, she'll die again inside his grave."

Lucy saw the Whispermen following them still. They were weird. No faces or anything, it was eerie.

"Here I am, late to my own funeral. Glad you could make it Jenny."

"Open the doors Doctor. Speak and open your tomb," Doctor Simeon, now the Great Intelligence, said.

"No."

"Because you know what's in there?"

"I will not open those doors."

"The key is a word lost to time. A secret-"

"Oh, that's what he meant. The Doctor has a secret he will take to his grave. I was trying to work out which secret it was. Your name. Should have guessed that. Well, deduced. Uncle Sherlock would never forgive me for simply guessing."

"The answer to a question."

"I will not open my tomb."

"I can see why not, the paradoxes alone should destroy everything, plus, let's e honest here, it doesn't look very nice, does it. Bit big and dark and scary for me."

"Lucy, now probably isn't the time," Clara said. Lucy winked at someone just over her shoulder.

"I have a plan. It's an awful plan. But it is a plan."

"Doctor, what is your name?"

"No, you're supposed to ask Doctor Who? Can't you get anything right?"

"The Doctor's friends. Stop their hearts. Starting with the annoying little girl."

"Madam, boys, Lucy, combat formation. They are unarmed," Strax said as the Whispermen hissed and turned towards them.

"So are we," Jenny said.

"Do not divulge our military secrets."

"Stop this. Leave them alone."

"Your name Doctor. Answer me."

"His name is the Doctor, you just said it! Except to me, then his name is Dad."

"Doctor Who?"

"Now you get it."

"Please, stop it."

"Doctor Who?"

"Unhand me sir," Strax said.

"Leave him alone, let him be."

"Don't worry sir, I think I've got him rattled."

"Doctor!" Clara yelled as they attacked her. Lucy could no longer see the Doctor, she wasn't tall enough.

"I need a growth spurt."

"Doctor Who?"

"Please!"

The doors opened.

"Oh. You didn't say anything Dad. Unless your name is please, in which case, I can see why you go by Doctor."

"Lucy, my name is not please. Now, is everyone all right?" The Whispermen had retreated. "Clara? Are you okay?"

"That was not nice."

"I know, I'm sorry. Now then Doctor Simeon or Mr G Intelligence, whatever I call you, do you know what's in there?"

"For me, peace everlasting. For you pain everlasting. Won't you invite us in?"

They stepped into the TARDIS.

* * *

Lucy stared at the light in the middle. The Doctor explained what it was to Clara, but she already knew. It was him. Everything he'd ever done, everything he ever would do. She was drawn to it, like a moth to flame. How she wished she could touch it, she could-

"Doctor!" Lucy spun around to see him collapse.

"The paradoxes," she said.

"Very bad," he confirmed. "What are you doing? Someone, stop him!"

"The Doctor's life is an open wound and an open wound can be entered."

This was his plan then. He was going to scatter himself through the timeline, to try and destroy the Doctor at every turn, from Gallifrey to Trenzalore. She had to stop him. There had to be a way.

The light turned red. So did Lucy's temper. All through his life he was dying. Vastra, Strax, Jenny… everyone else he'd ever helped. Everyone he'd saved. They were dying.

What did that mean for her?

Lucy felt her arms limp. If he was dying before she was born, then she was never born. She couldn't exist.

"Help him Clara." Lucy closed her eyes. She could no longer hear what was being said. "I know you're there Mum. I saw you. You said his name. Please. I don't want to Mummy. I'm scared."

Lucy blinked.

"We're all restored," Vastra said. "That's all that matters now." Lucy grabbed hold of the Doctor and didn't let go.

"We're not all restored." He draped his arm over her shoulder. She was still shaking.

"You can't go in there," River's voice said. "It's your own timestream for God's sake."

"I have to get her back."

"Of course, but not like this."

"But how?" Jenny asked.

"Is she still alive?" Vastra asked. "It killed Doctor Simeon."

"She has to still be alive. She's the Impossible Girl," Lucy said. "And I think we just found out why she's impossible. Why she died twice before."

"Clara's got one big advantage over Doctor Simeon."

"Which is?"

"Me."

"Doctor, please listen to me. At least hear me."

"Now, if I don't come back, and I might not," he continued, ignoring River, "go to the TARDIS, the fast return protocols should be on. She'll take you home. Lucy? Can you do something for me?"

"I'm going with you."

"No. I mean it this time. No. But there is something you can do. The universe needs a hand sometimes. Defeat a little Dalek problem. Rescue some people. Fix cracks in walls."

"It has you."

"It needs someone to do my job. A time travelling Doctor. Care to follow in the family business Lucy?"

"You can't leave."

"There has to be another way," River said. "Use the TARDIS, use something. Save her yes, but for God's sake be sensible." She went to slap him, but he caught her arm. "How are you even doing that? I'm not really here?"

"Fat lot of good slapping him would have done then, wouldn't it Mum."

"You are always here to me."

"And me."

"And I always listen and I always can see you."

"Then why didn't you speak to me?"

"Because I thought it would hurt too much."

"I believe I could have coped."

"No, I thought it would hurt me. And I was right." He kissed her. They broke apart a few seconds later. "Since nobody else in this room can see you, God knows how that looked."

"I can see you Mum and I can confirm, I wish I couldn't because that was disgusting. Parents kissing. Lovely."

"Thank you for your insight Lucy." He addressed River again. "There is a time to live and a time to sleep. You are an echo River. Like Clara. Like all of us in the end. My fault I know, but you should have faded away by now."

"It's hard to leave when I haven't said goodbye."

"Then tell me, because I don't know. How do I say it?"

"There's only one way I'd accept it. If you ever loved me, say it like you're going to come back."

"Well then, see you around Professor River Song."

"See you later Mum."

"Till the next time Doctor, Lucy, darling. And thank you by the way, for what you did."

"For what?"

"Spoilers."

"Don't wait up." The Doctor had tears in his eyes as he said his farewell.

"Oh, and there's one more thing."

"Isn't there always?"

"I was mentally linked with Clara. If she's really dead, then how can I still be here?"

"Okay, how?"

"Spoilers. Goodbye sweetie." Lucy bit back the tears as River Song, Melody Pond, faded away into nothingness.

The Doctor stood up.

"Dad, what are you doing?" He ignored her. "You heard Mum, you can't."

"Clara's still in there."

"Dad. Please."

He jumped.


	62. Chapter 62

The Name of The Doctor. The last bit

* * *

Lucy didn't know what to do. She was on her own, in a decaying TARDIS.

"Sod it."

She followed him.

* * *

"Doctor? Please, I don't know where I am."

"Clara. You can hear me. I know you can."

"Seriously, Dad, this is what your life looks like? Surprised there's not more hats."

"Lucy, out."

"How?"

He ignored her and continued talking to Clara. A man was standing there. Lucy watched him.

"Who is he?"

"He's me. There's only one me here, that's the point. Now, let's get back."

"But I never saw that one."

Lucy watched. She knew the faces as well, the TARDIS had been more than willing to show her. She didn't know this one.

"I said he was me. I never said he was the Doctor."

"I don't understand."

"Me neither."

"My name, my real name, that's not the point."

"Because it's secretly Please."

"The name I chose was the Doctor."

"It's a promise."

"He's the one who broke the promise." Clara fainted. The Doctor picked her up. "He is my secret."

"Blast, I got it wrong."

"What I did, I did without choice," the man said.

"I know."

"In the name of peace and sanity."

"But not in the name of the Doctor." He walked off. The man turned around. Lucy ran after her Dad.

* * *

"How do we get out?"

"We find the point we jumped in."

"How?"

"Well, at the moment, it's pretty much the end. Run Lucy."

The rest was a blur. Lucy saw snippets of his life, but she didn't really remember them. Maybe because it wasn't her life.

The next thing she was certain of, she was in the TARDIS. Vastra, Jenny and Strax had gone home and they'd dropped Clara off too, leaving her with Angie and Artie looking after her in return for no one telling their father they'd run off to the cinema without permission.

"So now what Dad?"

"We go on little adventures. And you go and see Sherlock, John and Merlin."

"We need another cross over adventure I think. One with all three of you."

"Where?"

"I don't know. All of time and space. Where do we start?"

* * *

**Author's Note: That's another thing you never told us Steven Moffat. How did the Doctor and Clara get out of his time stream and back to Earth? Any ideas?**


	63. Chapter 63

Sherlock was more than happy to see them again.

"So, you reckon we should go on an adventure together?"

"I do indeed Uncle Sherlock."

"I rather like Sussex."

"Sussex is good."

"We'll wait for Merlin and John then take a trip to Sussex then. Is Clara joining us Doctor?"

"I think she deserves a rest."

"What happened?"

"Tell you later." He looked at Lucy.

"What?"

"So, Sherlock. When will the other two be here?"

"Soon. John's at work and Merlin is, actually, I don't know where Merlin is."

"Did he go to visit Arthur?"

"What?"

"He goes every week."

"He went yesterday."

"Oh. I wonder where he is then."

The door opened.

"Sherlock!"

"Upstairs John."

"Sherlock, you'll never guess- oh hi Lucy. Doctor."

"Hi Uncle John."

"Gosh blimey you're getting big."

"You only saw me the other month."

"Still big. Look at you. You look all grown up. Don't worry. I know you aren't really."

"Why are you so excited John?"

"You'll never guess who I saw today."

"From the look on your face, someone who you haven't seen for a long time and have missed."

"So, who was it? Go on Sherlock, guess."

"I do not guess. I deduce."

"Or infer. Inferring is just as good."

"Thank you for that lovely insight Lucy. So John. You haven't seen your sister for a while. She's not drinking quite so often anymore."

"How did you… don't worry. I think I've got it by now. Harry? He's worked it out. Up you come."

"John. The TARDIS is in the kitchen."

"Doctor. My sister isn't- she- oh." Lucy elected not to listen to the last word in that sentence.

"John?"

"Harry. This is my best friend, Sherlock Holmes. That over there is the Doctor and that is his daughter, Lucy."

"The one you looked after for a bit?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. It was defiantly her."

"Lucky git. Anyone in my job would have loved to be in your position."

"Your job?"

"John. This sister of yours. Are you sure she was an alcoholic?"

"Yes Sherlock. I remember her coming home drunk. Frequently."

"Did you ever ask why?"

"She never answered. Harry?"

"How could I not be? The things that happened that year, the things I saw… You died John. He shot you. He shot so many people. The Toclafane. Everywhere. So much death. But it never happened. Of course it never happened. I keep seeing them, the people who died. I meet them and they're just normal people. How can they be normal people John? How can you be normal? How am I the only one? Even the others at UNIT thought I was going insane. They let me go they said. I wasn't normal. How do I remember something which never happened?"

"You can't," the Doctor said. "You remember something which happed then was rewritten when the paradoxes cancelled each other out. The Toclafane were humans from the end. They were killing their ancestors. Martha fixed it."

"Martha Jones, the girl who walked the Earth. Travelling everywhere, telling her story, helping everyone. Saving the world."

"Who are you?"

"My name's Harriet Watson. I'm John's sister."

"Were you on the Master's ship?"

"There was an undercover mission. I volunteered. But he found out and he found John and he was going to kill me, but he didn't. Living was a greater pain. I lived a year without my brother, watching a man die and come back to life every day, wishing it was someone else who had that gift and I felt awful. I'm sure he's wonderful."

"The eye of the storm. That's why we remember."

"I don't. I wasn't born and he said it's too dangerous to visit. And the man is wonderful, he's my Uncle Jack in the same way that that's my Uncle John and that's my Uncle Sherlock."

"Harry? You used to work for UNIT?"

"You weren't the only one who was offered a job. You weren't the only Watson they asked."

"What did you do?"

"Just paperwork, then that year happened. You were dead and then you weren't, but you left to go to Afghanistan."

"John, I believe your sister has a mental issue."

"I know Sherlock, I'm a doctor. Harry, you should have said something."

"What? John, you'd think I'm going insane, I dreamt up a world where everything was ending?"

"Anything Harry."

"You didn't meet the Doctor until after you got back."

"You could have met him at the wedding."

"I couldn't go. I still thought you were in my head."

"So, when it went downhill with Clara?"

"I couldn't tell her about my work, I couldn't tell her about this, I couldn't talk to her so she left."

"She wasn't our Clara, or a version of her, was she?"

"No Lucy, I met her. When you say version of her, did you find out why she's the Impossible Girl?"

"Yes. But now isn't the time. Do you know where Merlin is?"

"Work."

"Merlin has a job? Does everyone have jobs?"

"Do you have a job Dad?"

"Yeah, but I haven't been in a couple of centuries."

"Decades. You were there in the seventies." Harry seemed confused.

"That's a longer time ago for me than it is for you. Time traveller, remember."

"See, even you have a job, why can't Merlin?"

"Speaking of which." Sherlock held the door open. "Afternoon."

"Afternoon Sherlock. Hi John, Lucy, Doctor. And you must be Harry."

"Merlin, can you read minds?"

"No Lucy, John's shown me pictures of him with his sister when they were little and she looks so like him, how could they not be related?"

"Oh. I don't look like Dad."

"No, you look like Amy. It's like having a little Pond with me. You are a little Pond. A grandchild Pond."

"Can we go to Sussex now?"

"Well, Harry's here, John might want to stay and catch up."

"I have a better idea. Fancy an adventure Miss Watson?"

"Lucy."

"Oh come on Dad, please? Just one adventure. You heard what she said, she knows about you already and you owe her."

"Why?"

"Because it was you wanting to forgive and forget which meant the Master came back, your meddling and your TARDIS, your intelligence, basically, it was your fault. He was nice as Yana, Martha told me. But you had to go and point out the watch and you had to offer him life."

"He was my best friend once."

"Please can Harry come?"

"Fine. Harry, would you like to come to Sussex with us?"

"Inside the TARDIS? Sussex when?"

"I was thinking summer 2013. There were days when it was actually warm and sunny. Defiantly not January 2014. Basically chucked it down for the whole month, most of February too."

"That would be lovely. Yes. Thank you."

"Come on then Harry. I'll show you around." John grabbed his sister's hand and pulled her into the TARDIS.

"Wow. It really is bigger on the inside."

"I love it when people say that. You two coming?"

"Of course Doctor. I'm not passing up a day at the beach."

"Which one?"

"Brighton's always packed, so's Eastbourne. Birling Gap might be nice."

"Lovely little village near there, East Dean. Nice place to keep bees."

"Sherlock Holmes, a lover of bees. Well I never."

"Everyone loves bees. We'd die without bees in about four years because they do so much pollination. They also don't respond with stupid questions when you talk to them."

"You talked to bees?"

"You talked to dragons."

"I want to talk to a dragon. Dragons are cool."

"Right you three, in we go. Sussex, here we come. You know, I don't think I've been to Sussex in a very long time. Spent a good few months trying to find Brighton once, then there was that time when-" Lucy left him in his memories and set the course for the TARDIS. "Lucy, stop pressing buttons. What date did you set?"

"I didn't, she set it. Where are we going old girl?"

She landed and Merlin stuck his head out the door.

"Do you want the good news or the bad news first?"

"Good news," the Doctor and Sherlock said at the same time.

"We're in Sussex. A few miles outside Hastings to be precise."

"And the bad news?" John asked.

"It's 1066."

* * *

**Author's Note: I always wondered if there was a reason Harry became an alcoholic. Well, maybe she saw something she wanted to forget. And we don't know who else could have been on the Master's ship. We also don't know why Sherlock deduced she wanted to keep in touch in A Study in Pink and yet she didn't come to the wedding. Anyway. John's sister working for UNIT is much more fun than her just being this faceless character we hear about but never see.**

**Anyway. Sussex. Guess where I'm from. :) I don't think the Doctor's had an adventure in Sussex for a great many years. Not since the Fourth and that was only the one really. Never even been to the Battle of Hastings. ****Although, this isn't the Doctor's adventure really. There's a little bit, but I think we need more Merlin. But what in 1066 could possibly require the presence of a young (well, old) warlock who's already there?**

**Sherlock Holmes retired to Sussex to keep bees in the book and, judging by what was written, there's a theory that it was based on East Dean (which is small, so no wonder most people haven't heard of it). Also,I think it was last week there was a bit of erosion at Birling Gap, there's been quite a lot since January thanks to our rain, so you're not actually allowed there at the moment, not that you could get to it, the steps down to the beach having had to be taken down due to the fact they were inches away from falling off the cliff. But Birling Gap's closer and they could always go into the past and visit.**

**Also, the weather. The most British of complaints. We didn't have as much of a flooding problem, but it rained from the second week of January and only stopped the third week in February. That's five weeks of rain.**

**Well that was a long author's note. Sorry about that. There was quite a bit to explain.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	64. Chapter 64

**Author's Note: Just to be clear, anything written in italics isn't English.**

* * *

They stood on the top of the hill.

"I swear the Saxons should be here by now," Lucy said.

"It is getting late," the Doctor replied. "I think they might have been held up somewhere."

"Maybe you've got the date wrong," John said. "Maybe the battle isn't until tomorrow."

"Either way, I'm bringing this." Lucy stepped inside the TARDIS for a second and grabbed a bow and some arrows. "Quite what I'll do with it, I don't know, because I don't think I could actually kill a person."

"Good. We don't like killing people. How do you even know how to use one of them?"

"Everyone needs a hobby Dad. Did football for a bit, tried cricket, rugby, hockey, swimming, but archery was by far the best sport. And the history involved as well, it's just fun. Most I've ever shot at is a target. Ask the TARDIS, she made a range because she's brilliant."

"I see. Please don't get into any trouble."

"Like the thing something like that might cause?" Lucy pointed at the sky. "What even is that?"

"It's not possible, that's what it is," Merlin said.

"Merlin?"

"That's no alien Lucy. You said you wanted dragons. You got your wish."

"Awesome!"

"Not the time. Can't you see how concerned Merlin is? What is it old friend?"

"There are no more dragons. 1066. I remember that year. Kilgharrah and Aithusa had both passed on. I was the only one. The last creature of the Old Religion. Saxons has slaughtered Druids, any that were left were in hiding and even more bitter than they had been when Uther was king. No one needed magic anymore. There was no point. After the Purge, only idiots had trained to become sorcerers near Camelot and the influence was spreading."

"You can't call them idiots Merlin," the Doctor said. "It was a choice."

"It was a stupid choice. Anyone from outside magic that decided to learn it, while those with magic were being persecuted? Good grief, the number of people I had to save and all for naught, the last few were killed in the witch burnings in the fifteenth and sixteenth century. If they were so clever, why did they all have to go and die?"

Lucy looked at him. Merlin had been on his own for (most likely, she wasn't exactly sure) just under a thousand year watching everyone he cared about die, helping others, only to see them die. He'd seen kingdoms and empires rise and fall, human lives must seem like nothing to him now. He was almost as old as the Doctor. And he was alone. It was a wonder he hadn't given up hope before. She wondered what was keeping him holding on. Was it just the love of Arthur and the hope he would rise again? But Merlin was so conflicted about that. He didn't know how bad things would get before Arthur returned. He'd seen the death and destruction of two world wars and countless other battles. If that hadn't done it, then what could possibly be around the corner that was worse?

"Can you talk to them? The dragons?"

"I can try. I haven't done this for a long time. _Come dragons, hear me. I am the Dragon Lord._"

"Well that was unimpressive. Is it all in English?"

"English Lucy? That was the language of dragons."

"I understood it too. Sounded like English to me," John said.

"It's the TARDIS. Translates other languages. Clearly, it also translates dragon tongue."

"Wonderful. Now you all get to hear me say dragon words. Yay."

"That sounded suspiously like sarcasm there Merlin."

"Really Doctor, I would never have guessed."

"Merlin, the dragons." Sherlock looked at them. "Are you sure you know what you are doing?"

"If these are dragons, they have to listen. _I am the last Dragon Lord. Hear me and do my will."_

_"The Dragon Lords treated us poorly. Why should we not fry you man-with-ears?"_

_"I am not like the other Dragon Lords. I only wish to know."_

_"What do you wish to know man-with-ears?"_

_"How you come to be here. I watched the last dragons die. They were my friends."_

_"Dragons are thriving man-with-ears. There are many. Many dragons, many lords. Why do you say such things?"_

_"I watched it happen. I believe you have travelled through time. Here, I am the only thing left of the Old Ways. Dragon, I beseech you. Listen to my words now."_

_"I am listening man-with-ears."_

_"My name is Merlin. I am Emrys, Emrys is me. Those with magic were persecuted, including the dragons and lords until one of each remained. The dragon, Kilgharrah, was held captive. The lord, Balinor, managed to escape and lived in hiding for years, waiting to release the dragon. He left his son behind. _

_"I went to Camelot, to my uncle, to find my destiny. I met with Kilgharrah. He told me of my fate, to guide the young prince, Arthur Pendragon, to widen his views, to ensure an end to the persecution. Arthur's fate was to unite Albion. _

_"But when I released the dragon, I did damage I could never have believed. Kilgharrah swore his revenge on Camelot for Uther's crimes. The dragon battled the city every night. He could not be killed. I would not have wanted him killed. _

_"Arthur went to his father and learned of the life of Balinor. We journeyed to find him, but before I left Gaius, my uncle the court physician, told me of my father._

_"He was alone in a cave, in poor condition and at first refused to help. Arthur was hurt and I spoke to him and asked him of Hunith, the woman he had stayed with in Ealdor when he was running from Uther. He told me all. His love for her had never died, but he knew he could never see her again. _

_"I told him Hunith was my mother. He seemed pleased, yet sorrowed. He thought she had found someone else. She never did. I told him this, and what Gaius had told me. Balinor was my father. He in turn agreed to come to Camelot, once he had learned of my life there and my destiny. But he was killed on the way. We had to fight the dragon. Arthur was going to kill Kilgharrah. We had many disagreements, but I could not let that happen. I remembered what my father had said. The gift was passed from father to son. _

_"Arthur was unconscious and I spoke to Kilgharrah. He did my bidding. He left Camelot in peace. _

_"Many time I called on the Great Dragon for help, but there was one time I did not._

_"Arthur was dying. I had to get him to the lake, to Avalon. I could save him. This was my destiny. Alas, it was not too be. I was too late. I called on Kilgharrah one last time. He was old and weak. This was why I hadn't called him earlier. He passed on while I was trying to save Arthur. I was too late for both of them. _

_"Aithusa was the last dragon. I had hatched and named her myself, but she was captured. She could not speak. She was too weak. It was only a few years before she joined Kilgharrah. There were no more dragons."_

_"What of Arthur's destiny? Did you fail?"_

_"He left a legacy that will never be forgotten. He had untied the kingdoms. It was not how I wished them to be united, at war with a common enemy, but united they were and untied they stayed. I took part in the battle myself, calling fire down from the sky to destroy the enemy. After that, magic was accepted again. Arthur's wife, Guinevere, knew it was me and allowed those few who practised magic peace. Then the Saxons returned and with no Arthur, they took over Albion, but we were still united at heart."_

_"But there were no more dragons."_

_"No more."_

_"None?"_

_"I scoured the Earth looking for my brethren, but none remained."_

_"It is not possible."_

_"I am afraid it is. I have searched for millennia. Allow me to introduce you to my friend. _Doctor? Come over here." The Doctor stepped towards Merlin and the dragon. _"This is the Doctor. He travels through time. I have lived thousands of years, far into the future from this point. Somewhere, I am alive now, praying Albion- or as it is now known England and Wales- will finally have peace soon. The Saxons separated our country, pushing many of the native Britons, as we were known to the word as since the Romans, into Wales, leaving England free for them to use. There have been wars and invasions for decades. After this, I will decide to use my magic to bring peace. I will conjure storms to stop more Vikings and Saxons. None here shall know of it. Many of the common folk have the same wish as me. For peace. It shall all end here, today. There will be more, resisting the change and I cannot say Scotland will ever agree to it, but it will end. One day, we shall know peace. Just not yet."_

_"You are powerful young warlock. More powerful than you can ever imagine."_

_"Not so young anymore. I may look the same, but I am over nine hundred. Believe me. You do not belong in this world. I do not belong in this world. One day, we shall both sleep."_

_"You say we have travelled through time. How is that possible lord?"_

_"I do not know. That is the Doctor's area of expertise."_

_"He will not understand my questions."_

_"He speaks many languages and his machine translates the rest. He can speak to you and understand you."_

_"Very well. Doctor. How are we here?"_

"Well now, that's a tricky one." It was almost as if Lucy could hear the different languages underneath the English. Or maybe it was Gallifreyan? Either, she understood it. She could hear the Doctor's words being translated too. "Did you see anything suspious? A portal maybe?"

_"We only saw the crack."_

The Doctor's face fell. He knew what crack.

"This crack, what was it like?"

_"It spoke, but not in a language we knew. We were scared. The lords were scared. One ordered us to look closer. Then we were here. Is there a way home?"_

"I could try and get you in the TARDIS I supposed. Sounds sciency Merlin, magic might not work."

"I assume the door grows as well then?" Sherlock asked.

"I've never tried."

"There's got to be an easier way Dad."

"Yep. Merlin can make the door grow by magic."

"I can?"

"You can try."

"All right then. Looks like Sussex will have to wait."

"There's always next year. Or a few million years after that. Or next week. Maybe both."

"Right. This was dragon. Do you have a name?"

_"My name is Kilgharrah." _

"Blimey," John said. "Reckon you're the same one that grew up to be in Merlin's story?"

_"It is likely. Few dragons are given the same name."_

"To the TARDIS then," Lucy said. "Merlin, work your magic."

Lucy had never really seen Merlin do magic, just the odd little spell. His eyes shone with golden light. She couldn't see any difference, but when the dragons all managed to get inside the TARDIS she knew he'd done something special. Magic was amazing.

* * *

They dropped the dragons home. Merlin wanted to stay, to experience more of the old world when druids, sorcerers, warlocks and dragons alike roamed free and were free from harm, but Sherlock warned him against it. Emrys was a story far older than him and there was a chance someone would recognise him. He knew it was true. He also knew he couldn't go back and see Arthur. Merlin had been with Sherlock and John for over a year, with the Doctor visiting sporadically, wishing he could see his friend again, but it was not to be. Not even in a disguise. To meet himself would be awful. The paradoxes alone…

"Well, that was fun," Harry said. "Are we going home now? You said one adventure."

"I assume the Saxons turned up then Dad."

"We'll go and check Lucy. So like your mother."

"Really? Everyone else thinks I'm like you."

The Doctor stuck his head out the door.

"Now that is awful."

"Fixed point Dad. Can't change it."

"But they're killing each other!"

"Fixed point. It will be over soon. The Saxons are here then?"

"Must have been the dragons scaring them off. Come on. Let's get you lot home. Unless you want another adventure Harry?"

"I don't think I can. I'll fall in love with it and I know I can't stay."

"Tell you what Doctor, try and get us somewhere in Sussex where there is neither dragons, aliens or serial killers. One more chance."

"All right then. Don't touch it Lucy."

"Mum taught me how to fly it. She must have brought us there because Merlin was on board."

"Fine. Don't touch." He flicked some switches. "And now, Bognor Regis."

"What year?"

"1867."

"See you later!" Lucy ran out the TARDIS to jump in the sea.

* * *

**Author's Note: Not only did that chapter have dragons, but it also broke 2000 words. **

**Thanks to all who have read, reviewed, followed and favourited. Anyone want to hear another science joke? **

**Oxygen went on a date with Potassium. It went OK.**


	65. Chapter 65

Harry was with Lucy. They were somewhere swimming. Sherlock, John and Merlin all looked at the Doctor.

"Right. What happened with Clara?" Sherlock asked. The Doctor told him everything, including what he's overheard Lucy say.

"It's no surprise she's intelligent. You're her father, River's her mother and she grew up with Sherlock."

"You don't understand John. She should still be a little girl. She's grown up like a human. Human ageing. I don't know what it means."

"It means she reached fourteen early. Even though she looks older Doctor, she's still little inside," Merlin said. "She's fine."

"Look at you. You're what twelve hundred? And you still act no older than twelve at times," John said.

"I'm going to die one day John. Then who will look after Lucy?"

"You've got a long while before that. Another two regenerations."

"I don't though."

"How can you not?" Sherlock asked. "You are the eleventh Doctor."

"Yes, that's true. I am the eleventh version of myself to be called the Doctor. But there was one, during the Time War, that didn't call himself the Doctor."

"The one that destroyed Gallifrey."

"Yes. And then number ten used up a regeneration but kept the same face. I had vanity issues. I may be the eleventh Doctor, but I am the thirteenth regeneration. I am the last one."

"You've still got years yet," Merlin said.

"Three hundred years? Because that's when Lucy will be an adult. And she'll live for thousands of years after that. I don't want her to turn into another me. Travelling the universe, picking up random aliens and inviting them on the trip of a lifetime before they leave me and die. Your lives are like flies to me. That's why I left so long in between visits to Amy and Rory, I wanted it to last forever. That's why I visit in such close time spots in your lives, so there's more time. I don't want her to lose everyone. She's already lost her mother and her grandparents. Old friends. Everyone. That is the Time Lord's curse. To watch, to love, but always to lose. It breaks both my hearts."

"Oh, Doctor. All will be fine. It's you. It's Lucy. You always survive," John said.

"Sometimes, I wish I'd left her consciousness inside the fob watch. She would have been able to live a normal human life with you two. She would have been able to make friends, fall in love and die in a normal human way. Live a normal life, safe from danger, safe from hurt, safe from me."

"How could you say such a thing?" John was on the verge of shouting. "Safest place in the universe is by your side."

"No it's not. Shall I list you all my companions John? All the people I screwed up? All the men and women who died for me? Rose Tyler, the woman who fell in love with me then was trapped in another dimension. Martha Jones, the doctor who became a solider, the woman who walked the Earth, who was hurt over and over because of me. Donna Noble, the most important woman. The woman who became part Time Lord and had to forget so her mind didn't burn. Amelia Pond, the girl who waited, left on her wedding night, lost her fiancée, her daughter, had four therapists when she was a child because of me. Rory Williams, the boy who died, then died again, who waited two thousand years outside a box because of me. River Song, the woman who died for me before I knew her. Clara Oswald, the impossible girl who jumped into my time stream, sacrificing herself for me. That's just since the Time War. Do you want the ones from before too? Sarah Jane, Jo Grant, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, Adric, Ian Chesterton, Babara Wright, Susan Formen, Peri, Ace, Tegan, Grace-"

"All right Doctor, we get the picture," Sherlock said. "But the Slitheen found her before she was a Time Lord. She was looking for you. She's smart, even as a human. She would have found you. I think she did, she just didn't make the connection. Doctor. She belongs with you. When your time comes, it will come, like the rest of us and she will understand. You can always leave a day in human history were she can come and see us if she gets desperate. Jack'll be around forever."

"No he won't, saw him die. He was giant head. It's a long story."

"Merlin will be around for a long while yet too. She is just like you Doctor. She will be sad yes, but she'll be too busy saving the universe to panic too much. Maybe she'll even pick Luke Smith up for a bit."

"You're right. Thank you, the three of you. For listening, for looking after Lucy and for making me see sense. Now." His mood automatically changed and he clapped his hands together. "Who's up for building a sandcastle?"

* * *

**Author's Note: I'm up for it Doctor! Anyone else? **


	66. Chapter 66

**Author's Note: Was the 50th not brilliant? I didn't realise how much I missed Ten, nor how much I loved Eleven and just how different they were. And Kilgrarrah made a great Doctor. Or perhaps it was Ollivander. John Hurt is also a Doctor. Well I never. Brilliant casting on your part BBC might I say.**

**Writing credits go to Steven Moffat**

**Again**

**I want his job.**

* * *

The Day of The Doctor

* * *

A few moths past. John was talking to Harry again. She'd been offered her job at UNIT back once the Doctor had explained what had happened. Sherlock and Merlin were the same as ever. Clara was a teacher, but still came on adventures Wednesday evenings. Everything was well.

Then the helicopter picked them up.

"Really? Could they not have just asked?"

"Come and look at this Lucy, it's beautiful."

"I'm staying away from the heights Clara."

"Not like him then." They laughed at the Doctor hanging on to the bottom of the TARDIS, having fallen out of the door while on the phone.

"You know, he used to have the phone inside. I don't know why he changed it. Stupid really."

"Well, that's just him." They landed. The Doctor saluted.

"Why am I saluting?"

"Why are you saluting?"

"Doctor, as Chief Scientific Officer, may I extend the official apologies of UNIT."

"Hi Kate. He's going to tell you something now."

"Something that will probably have sounded better in his head," Clara added.

"Kate Lethbridge-Stewart, as I am sure your father will have told you, I don't like being picked up."

"I'm acting on instructions direct from the throne."

"Which monarch?" Lucy asked.

"Elizabeth the first."

"The first? Sorry, Elizabeth the first?"

"Clearly Clara, the postal system is not up to scratch if you have to wait that long for a letter."

"Her credentials are inside." Kate stopped the Doctor opening the envelope. "No, inside."

"Nice scarf," the Doctor said to the woman standing there as they went inside.

* * *

"Did you know her? Elizabeth I?" Clara asked.

"If he did, it was before I was around, but he's been so many places, I would be more surprised if he didn't."

"Oh. Who are this lot then?"

"Unified Intelligence Task Force. UNIT. They investigate alien stuff. Anything alien."

"What, like you?"

"I work for them."

"Even he has a job Clara."

"I'd be brilliant at having a job."

"Which is why he hasn't been in a couple of centuries."

"Elizabeth's credentials." Kate pulled a cloth off something to reveal a painting. Lucy stared in wonder. It was as if it was another world inside the painting.

_No More _or _Gallifrey Falls. _So this was Gallifrey. A whole other world. If she was a Time Lord, was this her home? Or was Earth, the planet she'd grown up on, her home?

The Doctor said it was the Fall of Arcadia and he was there. The other Doctor. The War Doctor.

He opened the letter. Lucy peered over his shoulder.

"My dearest love? Really? And look here, gently husband? Seriously? Gordon Bennett Dad, so much for history. Was this regeneration number ten again?"

"Why do you always assume it's him?"

"Because he was a massive flirt."

"It could have been any version of me." He turned back to Kate. "What happened?"

"Easier to show you." They followed her into the next room.

The painting on the wall was an ordinary Earth one, showing Elizabeth and-

"I knew it! I knew it was number ten!"

"Fine it was number ten, happy now?"

"Yep."

* * *

"Welcome to the Under Gallery."

"I've heard about this place," Lucy said. "All the art that's too dangerous for the public?"

"Yes. How have you heard about it?"

"Uncle Jack."

"Stone dust." The Doctor was looking at the floor.

"Is it important?"

"In twelve hundred years I've never stepped in anything that wasn't."

"Now you sound like Uncle Sherlock, analysing the ground."

"Oi you." He pointed at the girl wearing the scarf. "Are you sciency?"

"Oh, just showing off your knowledge of the English language there."

"I think I do well for someone whose first language is Gallifreyan."

"Er, well, yes."

"She's wearing a lab coat anyway, how could she not be a scientist?"

"Got a name?"

"Yes."

"Good, I've always wanted to meet someone called Yes."

"Cos your name is Please and you won't sound so stupid then. You could be a double act. Yes and Please. Yes Please, saviours of the universe, part time comedians. What's your actual name?"

"Osgood."

"Osgood. That sounds familiar. Anyway, Osgood, I want this stone dust analysed and I want a report in triplicate with lots of graphs and diagrams and complicated sums on my desk tomorrow morning. ASAP, pronto, LOL. See?" He turned to Clara and Kate. "Job. Do I have a desk?"

"No," Kate said.

"And I want a desk."

"Get a team, analyse the dust."

They left, leaving Osgood with the dust.

"Sorry about him. He's a bit weird. So why is Osgood a familiar name to him?"

"I'm not the first Osgood to work for UNIT."

"Ah. Your-"

"Lucy! Are you coming?"

"I'll talk to you later." Lucy ran off. "More paintings. And another fez. Really?"

"Something got out of them. And of course there's a fez. Fezzes are cool."

"I can see that from the glass. How would something get inside a painting?"

Something seemed to open in the ceiling.

"Oh, exciting. What's that?" Lucy asked.

"No, not now, I'm busy."

"Is it to do with the paintings?" Kate asked.

"No, this is different. I remember this, well, almost remember." Realisation dawned on him. "Oh of course. This is where I come in." He threw the fez in then jumped. "Geronimo!"

"Doctor!" Clara shouted.

"Well, that was well timed. See you in a tick Clara. Stay there."

"What?"

"Geronimo!"

Lucy jumped.


	67. Chapter 67

The Day of The Doctor. And the Tower of London

* * *

"Oh, he's cool. Isn't he cool? I'm the Doctor and I'm all cool. Oops, I'm wearing sandshoes."

"What are you doing here?"

"There you are. You don't just jump in things. Anything could have happened."

"You jumped."

"After you."

"So, you must be Doctor Number 10. I'm Lucy."

"Is she your companion? No wait, do I know you?"

"Maybe. Companion. Companion sounds good. So Da- er- Doctor. What was that thing?"

"A portal through time."

"What are you doing here?" the Tenth Doctor said. "I'm busy."

"Oh busy. I see. Is that what we're calling it now?" He put the fez back on. "Hello ladies."

"Don't start."

"Yeah, really, don't."

"Listen, what you get up to in the privacy of your own regeneration is your business."

"One of them is a Zygon." Lucy flashed back to the story of how the Doctor, Sherlock, John, Merlin, Arthur and River had met. It couldn't possibly be the same ones. Could it?

"Doctor, is that you?" Clara's voice came through the portal.

"Ah, hello Clara. Can you hear me?"

"Yeah, it's me. We can hear you. Where are you?"

"Where are we?"

"England, 1562," Ten replied.

"Who are you talking to?"

"Myself." Both of them answered at the same time.

"Can you come back through?" Kate asked.

"Maybe not. Depends on the portal. Hang on. Fez incoming!" Lucy pulled the fez off his head and threw it.

"Oi! That was my fez!"

"You would have thrown it too. Anyway, at least, wherever it is, it's still in one piece. Mu- River would have just shot it."

"Nothing here."

"So where did it go?" the Tenth Doctor asked.

"Yeah Lucy. Where did it go? Is it possible to get my fez back?"

"It's not yours. You picked it up."

"No one was using it. It was screaming at me to be worn."

"Why do I put up with you?"

"Because you think I'm cool and brilliant and fantastic."

"I think you're nuts."

"There is a fine line between madness and genius."

"You sit on the wrong side of that line."

"Who are you exactly?" the Tenth Doctor interrupted.

"Spoilers."

"Right. You used to be me, you've done all this before. What happens next?"

"I don't remember."

"How can you forget this?"

"Hey, hang on, it's not my fault."

"It's probably the paradox. Two of you in one place, brain couldn't quite keep up, you forgot. The last regeneration must be the one that keeps the memories. You said you don't remember. Who do you remember being here?"

"Not you. That's the answer to the question you want to ask, yes?"

"Yes. So Doctor. What next?"

"Reverse the polarity." He pulled his sonic out. Doctor Ten did the same. "It's not working."

"We're both reversing the polarity."

"Yes, I know that."

"There's two of us. I'm reversing it, you're reversing it back. We're confusing the polarity."

Someone else came through the portal.

"Anyone lose a fez?"

* * *

Lucy looked at him. It was the secret version they'd seen at Trenzalore, she knew it. The old warrior. The other Doctors were talking to him. Three of them. This was about to get very confusing. What would she call them?

"You're me?"

"Yes."

"Even that one?"

"Yes!" Clearly that was her Doctor.

"And that one?"

"Oh no, not me. Just Lucy me."

"Thank goodness. I have no intention of ever being a girl."

"You still haven't explained who you are."

"I thought we'd established I was a companion?"

"So why do I know you? You started to call him something then corrected yourself earlier."

"Am I having a midlife crisis?" The War Doctor seemed to sense her discomfort and move the attention away from her. She was grateful to him for that. "Why are you pointing your screwdriver like that? They're scientific instruments not water pistols. You look like you've seen a ghost."

"He's seeing two." She gestured to the Eleventh Doctor. The three of them took no notice.

"Still, loving the posh gravelly thing. It's very convincing."

"Brave words Dick Van Dyke."

The soldiers approached them, forming a circle.

"Which of you is the Doctor? The Queen of England is bewitched. I would have the Doctor's head."

"Well, this has all the makings of your lucky day," the War Doctor said.

"Can I just say, if we are taking heads which I really don't want, that I am not the Doctor."

"I think there's three of them now," Clara's voice said.

"There's a precedent for that," Kate's voice said.

"What is that?" The soldier asked.

"Oh the pointing again," the War Doctor said, noticing the other two had got their screwdrivers out. Lucy wondered if she should pull River's out of her top pocket. "What are you going to do, assemble a cabinet at them?"

"Didn't River ask you that too once Doctor?" Lucy pointed out. "Before she basically saved you?"

"Shush."

"That thing, is it witchcraft then?"

"Yes. Yes it is," Lucy said. "Hello. Is that the witch Clara we can hear?"

"Hello?"

"Clara, could you do me a favour and tell these lot to disappear?"

"Oh no, it has to be better than that. Tell these prattling mortals to get themselves begone. Honestly Lucy. That sounds much more witchy."

"What he said."

"Yes, tiny bit more colour Clara."

"Right. Er. Prattling mortals, off you pop, or I'll turn you into frogs."

"Ooo frogs. Nice. You heard her."

"Doctor, Lucy, what's going on?"

"Not a clue! Isn't it exciting?" Lucy said.

"It's a timey wimey thing," the Eleventh Doctor explained.

"Timey what? Timey wimey?"

"I've no idea where he picks these things up."

"Because it wasn't you that coined the phrase at all," Lucy said.

"Again, who are you?"

Elizabeth walked in to the glade. The soldiers bowed. She was going to arrest them and take them to the Tower of London. This was not good. The Eleventh Doctor did not seem to agree.

"The Tower. Did you say the Tower? Ah yes, brilliant. Love the Tower. Breakfast at eight please. Will there be Wi-Fi?"

"Are you capable of speaking without flapping your hands about?" the War Doctor asked.

"Yes."

"No."

"No. I demand to be incarcerated in the Tower immediately with my co-conspirators Sandshoes and Granddad."

"Granddad?"

"They're not Sandshoes!"

"Yes they are" the War Doctor said.

"If he's Sandshoes and he's Granddad, what am I?"

"The mastermind behind the entire plan. All her idea. She needs to be the first to be in the Tower."

"Oh cheers. Love you too."

"Silence. The Tower is not to be taken lightly."

* * *

They were thrown in the same room.

"Well, that's solved one problem. Can't call you all Doctor, so Sandshoes and Granddad it is."

"They are not Sandshoes!"

"Yes they are. Everyone thinks they're sandshoes."

"Three of us in one cell? That'll cause a lot more than naming issues Lucy." He was scratching on the wall with a nail.

"I know. Nasty anomalies, paradoxes and all that."

"What are you doing?" Sandshoes asked.

"Getting us out."

"The sonic won't work on that, it's too primitive."

"Shall we ask for a better quality of door so we can escape?" the Eleventh Doctor said.

"Or you could just make a wood setting. It really wasn't that hard."

"Got your sonic then?"

"Yes, but you don't need it."

"Okay. The Queen of England is a Zygon but never mind that. Why are we all together? Why are we all here? Well me and Chinny, we were surprised, but you came looking for us. You knew it was going to happen. Who told you?"

"Oi, Chinny?"

"Yeah, you do have a chin."

"You do. Everyone points it out. Oh, I have a name for you as well now!"

"And you. You still haven't told us who you are."

"In theory, I can trigger an isolated sonic shift among the molecules and the door should disintegrate."

Lucy let them talk about sonics, wondering why old Granddad over there kept interrupting before she had to answer Sandshoes's questions. She didn't mind. She didn't want to answer the questions. There was a reason he hadn't interrupted when she said companion.

And now they were arguing. Honestly, this was taking arguing with yourself to a whole new level. The Tenth Doctor was asking about where the Eleventh had just been.

_Yep. Don't mention Trenzalore Dad. Stupid idea._

And back to sonics. A calculation to open the door. Fair enough. Lucy tried to hold back the giggles.

"Oh, hi Clara."

"How did you do that?" Chinny asked. Lucy was still laughing about that. His chin got insulted by his past self.

"It wasn't locked."

"Right. Lucy, you knew, didn't you."

"Yep. Clara, have you met the Doctor? That's number 10, also known as Sandshoes, and that's the War Doctor, also known as Granddad. This version, number 11 you know, his new name is Chinny. Or Please."

"For the last time Lucy, my name is not Please!"

"Wait. Three of you in one room and none of you thought to check the door."

"It should have been locked," the War Doctor said.

"Yes. Exactly. Why wasn't it locked?"

"Easy," Lucy noticed Queen Elizabeth approaching. "Save you from embarrassment later. She's the real Elizabeth, wants you to save her country. And the world actually. So, reckon these are the same Zygons you met that time?"

"Maybe."

"How did you know that?" Elizabeth asked.

"I'm smart me. Sometimes."

"You're no more than a child."

"It's a long story."

"The Zygons think it was their commander which survived. Would you like to see their plan?"

"Yes," all the Doctors said.

"Please," Lucy and Clara smiled at each other.

* * *

**Author's Note: Right, must dash, cakes in the oven. Fundraising at school. Sixteen of us trying to bake for over a thousand. On the plus side, we have costumes as well. A new one each day. Today, I was Rory the Roman. We had a whole day for Doctor Who, not that any of us are Whovians or anything... we didn't make references no one else got or extremely excited by a banana. Wasn't us. It was someone else. Anyway, tomorrow's TV personality but it seems to have turned into BBC appreciation day. We have several Sherlock characters, and I am Merlin. I've even got a friend being Kilgarrah. We're just that (not) cool. **

**Anyhow, thanks for reading, hope you liked it!**


End file.
